It's Called Unorthodox For A Reason
by TigerChickTigriss
Summary: 29year old Dusty works for the Ministry,enrolling at schools as a STUDENT!Her latest project puts her in Hogwarts,just as things with Voldemort start heating up.She knows that she's falling for Snape but will things still be the same after the war?SSOC AU
1. The Job

**(SS/OC) (AU)**

**Full Summery:** Twenty-nine year old Dustella Ellardrick (Dusty) works for the American Ministry of Magic, going from school to school enrolling as a student to evaluate the school system. Her job takes her to Hogwarts just as things with Voldemort start heating up. With the enevitable War upon them, Dusty must alert the United Wizard Nations before Hogwarts is distroyed. She's also aware that she is falling for a certain dark haired professor. Complicated emotions, war, death, and possibly romance await her as the Last Battle and Final War race towards her.

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TigerChickTigriss owns only OC's and story plot. Harry Potter is not her's. _**

**_...Destroyed Studios Presents:_**

**It's Called Unorthodox For A Reason  
Chapter One:**

_**The Job **_

It wasn't that she hated her job; in fact she quite enjoyed it. It was _this _part of her job she hated. Sure, it was fun traveling to all the type of wizarding schools and learning their diverse ways of performing magic — for the first couple of years. Going to four schools in one school year got tiring after five years of constant traveling. She had already been to all the main American schools, all which did things very similar. Even Salem, the school she thought would have been the most unique, was almost exactly like the school she had gone to during her learning-years. It had been an extreme disappointment for her, being from a small wizarding school in the middle of nowhere Wisconsin.

After visiting the four largest American schools — Salem, Devore, Lincoln W.S (Wizarding School) and Washington W.S— she had been on her way to the Asian schools; even though America had at least three more years worth of schools on the visiting list. China had taken at least a year and a half to visit their six prevalent schools and Japan had taken the rest of her third year at her job and another quarter a year to visit their three prestigious schools. Both North and South Korea had two schools each on the list and she had spent her fourth year and the beginning of the fifth year dodging North Korea's dangerous Anti-Peace Wizards and getting plotting professors evicted from South Korea's school board.

Africa had taken about a year and three fourths to complete. Their rather unique schools had interesting magic traditions, sprouting from their Medicine Man ways of old, and absolutely no diversity between bloodlines. The students and staff could have cared less if you were half blood, quarter blood or pure blood. They were just delighted they had as many African Wizards and Witches as they did.

The only school on the French list was Beauxbatons — an extremely stuck up school with a giant Headmistress. And yes, Madame Maxine really was a giant — or half anyway. Madame Maxine was about five feet taller then her and had nearly crushed her when it was time to head to the other school. The…delightful experience was not one she wanted to repeat anytime soon. Russia had been a Dark Arts learning experience. For a very strange reason, they only had two schools on their list. Durmstrang, a school she had been looking forward to visiting ever since she took the job, had not one of them. The schools she visited _did_ dabble in the dark arts, though not as much as Durmstrang was rumored to.

She had visited other schools over the nine years she had been at the job. Too say the least, she knew a whole lot about how all Wizarding Worlds from over the globe worked. She was also very educated on exactly who Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters were and exactly how much power they had in the world. It seemed that not the entire world was as affected by him as he would have liked. America had a large portion of extremely skilled wizards, having been in school for eight months every year for nine years, so they had been able to deal with any Death Eaters fairly quickly.

China and Japan had also dealt with Voldemort before he could take root in Asia, protecting the whole continent from his power. Russia hadn't been as lucky and they were still dealing with ex-Death Eaters that caused trouble form time to time. Africa was perfectly happy to help destroy the Dark Lord because they felt that he was a hindrance to all beings of Magic. They hated when other Wizards discriminated against Wizards and Witches and well as non-magic humans. So they took extra precautions, training their students for war and stocking up on healing and regeneration potions. After all their effort though, there hadn't been need for a war because Voldemort had been killed before his influence even reached Africa.

On the other hand, the whole of Europe had been greatly affected by Voldemort and it was still dealing with the Death Eaters and side affects cause by his terror. She had found out from Madame Maxine that Voldemort was once again rising to power in Europe and had told her to warn the other nations of the world. That had been two years ago and now a large portion of the countries that were conected to the Muggle United Nations including Canada, Australia were preparing for the war that was sure to come within the next few years. The countries Ministries had been hard at work training their Wizards to fight and brewing so many potions that the store houses where overflowing with them.

Now back to the part of her job she hated. The traveling was bad; the paper work she had to do wasn't as bad since she didn't really have much to do. That was her friends job back in the UWN (United Wizard Nations) office. What was bad was that she never went as a Professor _OR_ a guest. Instead she always went to the school as a _student_. Complete with the _homework_ she had to do and under the watchful eye of the Professors that where close to her age! If they gave her a detention, she _had _to serve the detention. The reason behind this madness was that she was supposed to find out if the curriculum was too complex for the year they were teaching, if the punishments were too harsh, and if the Professors were doing a good job of teaching.

In recent years, she had managed to fire at least three Professors. Two had been doing an extremely poor job of teaching their Defense Against the Dark Arts class, the class that got students ready to begin their War program. The Ministries where on the school's case a day after she had sent in the report and new Professors were hired immediately. The other one was handing out punishment that were not exactly humane. Chasing down insane werewolves and trying to capture them had been too much for the Ministry and the Russian Professor, who was found out to be an active supporter of Voldemort, was arrested and sent to prison. She had put the Russian Professor away almost a year after Voldemort was reported to have regained some power.

So the gist of her job was to travel to schools all around the world, make sure the teachers were sane and good at teaching, and to find out (from the students themselves) if they would be capable of fighting in a war or just surviving in the Wizard world. Since polyjuice potion was prohibited in America, an explanation of why a twenty-nine year old woman was going to school was in order. So the schools were told that she was a Witch who had been unable to complete her training and was coming back to the school to finish. None of the Professors, even the Headmasters, knew what her real job was. At least not until she had filed a final report on the school and was out of the country.

During the summer, her vacation time after many, many months of dealing with kids and work, she had been contacted with startling news: the person who had defeated Voldemort the first time was a student at Hogwarts. Coincidently, Hogwarts had been the next on her list to visit. After the American Ministry had pulled a few strings in the UWN, they had been able to squeeze her in the second quarter of the year instead of at the end of school. And as a bonus, she got to take the first quarter of the school year off!

So now she was on a flight to London, England to floo to Hogwarts. The American Ministry insisted that all their employees traveled the Muggle way and avoid using any magical transportation. At first it had been a drag getting in and out of the airlines but once she got used to it, it wasn't so bad. The plane landed with little interruption or turbulence and soon the Ministry Auror of International School Observation (or just MAISO for short) was on her way to the checkout desk. She weaved in and out of the crowed, grabbed her bag and staggered over to the passport-check-lady-person.

"Welcome to England. Have a great stay Dusty Ellard," the woman said with a smile.

"Sure," Dusty answered bitterly, knowing she had another school quarter of being looked down on by similar aged Professors and laughed at by students at lest ten years younger then her. She always begged her boss to allow her to switch the alibi but he refused. "Sadistic annoying boss with an evil streak," she grumbled, stomping into the Family bathroom.

Dusty took a quick look around her then hoisted her bag onto her shoulder and puffed in annoyance. Why did she always have to pack so much stuff? She laughed at herself. She _did_ jump from school to school without being able to go back to her house so everything she needed was in her single large suitcase. She even had her entire Muggle book collection, having been raised around them her whole life (hey! She _did _live in America!) as well as her complete wardrobe. With another glance at the door, she blinked and with a CRACK, disappeared from the large bathroom.

She re-appeared not far from Hogwarts. If two miles from your destination wasn't far… After trekking for thirty minutes, she ended up in a complete Magic village called Hogsmeade in front of a place called The Three Broomsticks. She let her case drop to the ground and she stretched before levitating her bag and walking into the building. She snagged a quick Butterbeer, a drink she had become found of, and then asked the tender which way Hogwarts was.

Directions now in her possession, Dusty trudged up the hill towards the large castle, bag floating beside her. She could have taken floo to Dumbledore's office but she needed a quiet walk to mentally prepare. The first day on the job was never easy. You met the Professors, the students and the Headmaster all at once. A person without experience would probably pass out from anxiety. In fact, she had passed out on her first trip and the students never let her forget it. Even after eight years they still called her up and joked about it.

To her annoyance, a bell rang and students pored out of the school and into the courtyard just as she reached the school. They whispered to each other as she passed them by, ignoring their immature antics. She passed a large oak tree and noticed something odd. The tree had a face in it. Squinting, she realized it was a boy about sixteen with bleached blonde hair. Dusty waved her wand that she pulled from the back pocket of her jeans and strutted through the open doors.

She went up a flight of insanely long stairs, around fifty bends, up yet more flights of stairs (these ones, she found out, moved and had trick steps) until she stood in front of a gargoyle statue. Not sure what to do, she looked at the statue and glared. After a staring contest that the gargoyle won, she pulled out a bag of lemon drops. She popped one into her mouth and sucked. Her face twisted in horror and she spat out the candy.

"That was not a Lemon Drop!" She glared at the yellow jellybean. "UGH! What is a urine _Jelly Bean _doing in my Lemon Drops?!" The sound of stone scraping against stone filled the hall. She looked at the gargoyle that was now standing to the side reveling a spiral staircase. "O-o-o-okay…" She left the Jelly Bean to the dirty floor and climbed the stairs.

She emerged into a large room decorated with pictures and bazaar things that she didn't have a clue what they were. A person with long hair and a matching silver beard looked up from the gigantic desk. His blue eyes twinkled behind his half-moon spectacles and he smiled. He stood and crossed the room in two strides.

"Welcome to Hogwarts Ms. Ellard!" He clasped her hand and kissed it gently then ushered her into a chair. "I am delighted you chose Hogwarts to help you finish your education."

Dusty put on a fake smile. "I'm honored to be here Professor. I'm sorry that I couldn't start at the beginning of the year." The lies came easy to her. It was the one she used every year when she switched schools in the middle of the quarters. "You see, we recently had a death in the family and—" Dumbledore held up a hand to silence her.

"Don't worry. I understand the pain of losing a loved one. I'm sorry for your loss and I hope that the time you had off help you." He smiled genially and her stomach gave a slight flutter of guilt. She hated lying when the people where so damned _nice_!

"Thank you," she said with a bow of her head. "If I may ask Headmaster—"

"Dumbledore, if you please."

"If I may ask Dumbledore, I know that Hogwarts has four houses for its students. How does that work exactly?"

He smiled again and explained about the hat and the sorting. Her stomach did another flip but it was now because that hat would be reading her mind. It would find out about her job and ruin the whole thing! Dumbledore seemed to notice her unease for he smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. It's not so bad and the Hat is never wrong."

He summoned the hat over and it landed upon her head. Even on her head the hat fell down to her eyebrows. She couldn't imagine what it looked like on a little eleven year old. The hat puffed up and came to life, it's deep, raspy voice filled her head.

"_So, you're a twenty-nine year old finishing Wizard school are you? I see another reason for you being here." _

"_Please don't tell them! It's my job and I need the edge of them not knowing what I'm really doing!"_ She felt kind of stupid pleading to a hat.

The hat gave a chuckle. _"Don't worry. I won't give you away. My job is to sort students, not tattle."_

She breathed a sigh of relief.

"_Now the question is where to put you? Neither Hufflepuff nor Ravenclaw. You are not smart enough and other qualities outweigh your loyalty. Since your job is lying, how 'bout Slytherin? You are surly cunning enough. But, you have to be extreemly brave to be willing to lie to so many people. Gryffindor it shall be."_

"Gryffindor." The hat said, giving a nod of approval. Dumbledore smiled and thanked the hat before it whisked away, back to its lonely shelf.

He turned to her. "Professor McGonagall is the head of the house. I'll call her and she'll see to your room."

He waved a hand and about two minutes later, a woman in black robes and a tall black pointed hat poofed into the room. She glanced at Dusty then turned to Dumbledore. "She is the one then?" She asked in a tone that held annoyance.

Dusty ignored the tone with the ease that came from years of practice. She was used to this attitude from older Professors. They believed she had been lazy in her schooling and were always angry that she hadn't finished her degree. Dusty found this somewhat amusing because she had the most Wizarding schooling of anyone she knew. Not only did she finish nine years of school but she also had nine _more _years of different _types_ of magic on her résumé. She could land a job anywhere on the planet! Quite humorous in her eyes.

"Yes and she's in Gryffindor! You're very lucky to have her!" Dusty thought she heard McGonagall mutter, "Yes, lucky…"

He looked back and forth between the two women, one who was glaring the other ignoring. "I'll leave her to you then."

Dusty stood to follow McGonagall out the large doors. Dumbledore held out a shallow bowl filled with yellow candies. "Lemon Drop?" He offered one to Dusty.

Dusty eyed the candy then shrugged and popped one into her mouth. The lemon flavor filled her sense of taste. She felt all her worries melt away and she smiled. "Thank you." Then she followed McGonagall out the door, her bag once again floating beside her.

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THANKS TO _INVADERK _FOR HELPING ME OUT WITH SNAPE'S CHARACTER! GO READ HER STORY!**


	2. Professor Grumpy Pants

**A BIG THANKS TO _INVADERK _WHO HELPED ME OUT WITH SNAPE'S CHARACTER!!! THANKS _INVADERK!_**

**It's Called Unorthodox for a Reason  
****Chapter Two:**

_**Professor Grumpy Pants**_

Her room got a nine out of ten. It had dark colored walls with a single, large four poster bed made of dark Mahogany wood and a nice dresser set made form the same wood. The bed sheets where made of red silk and the curtains where dark red velvet. The room was meant for a Professor (which is probably why she had her own bathroom and a bath the size of a hot tub) and was the size of Dusty's entire apartment she had in Chicago. She guessed she got the room because she was older and needed more space? At least they weren't as cheep as the American schools. Dusty had been shoved in a room already occupied by four girls and ended up sleeping on the floor.

After her clothes were packed away in the gigantic dressers, Dusty changed into her PJ's and set to putting all the nick knacks away in random spots. She had a thing for collecting random junk that never seemed to fit in any room she stayed in. Her book collection soared across the room and stacked themselves nicely on the Mahogany book case. She flicked her wand and random stuff started flying out of the suitcase and floated around the room in a circle around her.

She walked to the wall and a bunch of African tribe masks followed her. They hung on the walls in two clusters shaped like diamonds. Their bright orange, yellow, green and blue paint clashed against the dark red that covered her walls. In between the two clusters a little above them, a Medicine Mans skull mask hung, it's empty eyes looking out at the residents of the room. A large dragon statue came next and placed itself in a corner where it could watch the people who came to and fro through the door. An African spear along with two Japanese katana's, a long Chinese dagger and a gigantic Chinese fan occupied the wall parallel to the masks.

Pictures from her travels from America all the way through her nine years propped themselves on top the dressers, in the bookshelves and on the walls. None of the pictures moved, Dusty had taken them with a Muggle camera because she didn't like it when the portraits acted alive. Also, she enchanted her mirrors to _not_ talk. Having her reflection talk to herself gave a new meaning to 'talking to yourself' and Dusty talked to herself enough without having her reflection talk back.

Once the room was looking like home, complete with all her random trinkets and the already growing pile of clothes on the floor, Dusty collapsed into her silk bed. She snuggled in and closed her eyes, letting her arm fall over the edge of the bed. A second later, she found herself on the floor staring at the ceiling in shock. She stood up and glared at the silken sheets. Dusty snatched her wand off the bedside table and waved it over the poster bed. The red silk turned into soft, fluffy red cotton. She climbed back in bed, glad none of the pictures were 'alive' and saw her slip out of bed because of the slippery sheets.

The next day wasn't the best, as all first days in that line of work always were. She decided to skip breakfast, conjuring up a stove, bacon, eggs, pancake mix, a small refrigerator, a pot and utensils. She cooked it in her room, ate on her bed, all while still in her pajamas. She took a swig of orange juice and checked the time on her digital clock she had managed to enchant so that it didn't go screwy because of magic. She had about an hour before her first class, seventh year Transfiguration, started. Her schedule appeared in her hand. She made it so that she had a class with every single professor in Hogwarts, that made an extremely packed week and lots of homework to do. She never had problems finishing all her assignments when she was a real student and she had nine more years of practice, managing to get homework time down to an hour a night!

Her schedule disappeared and she pulled on her clothes. Dumbledore excused her from wearing the uniform because he was just nice like that. All he had told her was that she had to wear a black robe with the Gryffindor badge on it and she couldn't wear anything risqué. She didn't have a problem with that, she liked things that covered her stomach and legs and didn't allow her butt to hang out. She picked through her clothes and settled on a pair of black jeans, a red tanktop with a black turtleneck underneath it. She laced up her tall combat boots and grabbed her black robe and pulled it over her arms. Her robe was almost like a trench coat, it was long and billowing but it had a Chinese collar.

Dusty magically zipped it up and attached the Gryffindor house badge right over her heart. She pulled back her brown hair into a lose bun and stuck in the black chopsticks she had gotten from her student friend in China. She slipped her wand into her trench coat sleeve where she made a small pocket just for it running along the seam. She stole a glance at the clock. About thirty minutes. She brushed her teeth and grabbed her books then walked out of the door. She walked down the hall a little ways and came into the Gryffindor common room. It was, of course, deserted because the students where at breakfast.

Dusty walked over to the gigantic portrait and pushed it open. She climbed out, annoyed with their door. It talked. It also protested when it was pushed open and spilled tea over the pink dress the fat lady was wearing. Dusty stared at the large, fat woman who was cursing her. Dusty snapped back to reality and apologized, bowing and running off down the hall. The bowing was something she had picked up from Asia and could never stop doing, no matter what country she was in. It earned her a lot of strange looks especially when she was in Russia.

How she found the Transfiguration room, she would never know. Dusty was extremely grateful she had left so early. She had gotten to the room with a minute to spare before the bell rung. McGonagall barely glance at her before directing Dusty to an empty seat in the very back of the class. 'Very back of the class' was not exaggerating. She had to be as far away from McGonagall as she could be. Once the bell rung, McGonagall stood up and strutted to the front of the room. She glanced at Dusty with distaste.

"Class," she begain and Dusty inwardly groaned. When a teacher started with the classical 'class' a lecture was sure to ensue with Dusty being the lecturee. "We have a new student with us today. She should be here for a while. Please stand Ms. Ellard."

Dusty suppressed a sigh and stood. She could feel eyes on her and already saw the drool running down the guys' open mouths. 'This is the bad part of going back to school, hormonal driven teenage guys.' "Hello, you can call me Dusty." She smiled and was about to sit down when McGonagall did the inevitable. She asked 'thee' question.

"Ms. Ellard, please tell the class about yourself."

Dusty turned her death glare to the desk and gowned her teeth. Why did all the old hags do this to her? Was it because she was younger and prettier then them? "Well, I'll tell you all the truth. I'm not your age. I'm in fact, twenty-nine." A few girls gasped and started to whisper feverishly while a guy jabbed another in the ribs and mouthed 'I love older women!' "Anyway, I'm finishing my Wizardry schooling which I, unfortunately, was detained from completing when I was your age. So that why I'm here." She sat down and stared at the blackboard, finding it interesting all the sudden.

McGonagall then started teaching and Dusty started taking mental notes, memorizing how the Professor acted and responded when asked a question. At the end of class, Dusty could honestly say she was impressed with the old hag. She knew what she was talking about and she was strict but not to the point where she was plainly rude. 'Her report is an A for now.' Dusty thought and marked a tally underneath McGonagall's name in her small palm sized book. The book was her score-keeping sheet. Each straight tally was good and every slanted tally was a mark against them.

The Divinations professor had to be crazy. She talked all about deaths that would occur and all these strange and extremely bogus predictions. Needless to say, she got a side tally because there was nothing intelligent that came out of that woman's mouth. The way she taught was so choppy, Dusty couldn't tell the difference between the predictions and the lesson. Lunch. It's the one class you cannot fail. Unless you start a food fight but that's beside the point. Dusty didn't go to the lunchroom; instead she took refuge in her room and ate her own cooking. She had a nice bowl of spaghetti with meatballs and red sauce along with milk and a cookie. The cookies where chocolate chips!

Anyways, her last two classes were Herbology and sixth year Potions with the Slytherins. Whoopdydoo!

Herbology was actually interesting. England had different herb species, most she had never seen before. And the teacher actually _knew_ what she was talking about and she didn't stop to tell someone they where going to die. One straight tally to Professor Sprout! Potions class was the only one Dusty had been looking forward to. The reason being, she loved cooking! And Potions was like cooking except if you added the wrong ingredient your 'food' could blow up or kill you… Okay, so the worst cooking could so was burn you, taste bad or give you food poisoning and Potions could be deadly.

The air got colder as she descended the stairs to the dungeons where the Potions class was held. Why it was in the dungeons she didn't know. She quickly put a charm on her clothes so they would trap her body heat. It was a little trick she got from a Russian friend. She rounded the corner then leisurely leaned against the wall. The students where standing in the hall, apparently waiting for their Professor. The Gryffindors and Slytherins were on opposite sides of the hall, shooting insults back and forth like hot potatoes. Well, really it was mainly a boy with bleached blonde hair (the same one she saw in the tree), his lackeys, a boy with unruly black hair and large round glasses and his two friends.

It was amusing until they drew their wands.

Spells went everywhere, hexes bounced off the walls missing random students by milimeters. Dusty flicked her arm, making her wand slip into her hand then whispered _Expalious_, and their wands flew out of their hands, hovering in midair. A red headed boy tried to reach for his wand. It moved away from him like a fly. The Slytherins laughed at his futile attempts before they tried to get their wands. It was the red heads turn to laugh when the same happened to them. For over five minutes, the two groups tried to catch their rebel wands. Dusty was so busy laughing at them that she almost missed the nearly silent footsteps echoing duly through the hall. She whispered the counter charm and the wands returned to their owners who, much to her amusement stared at them dumbly. She silently slipped further down the hall and into a dark shadow.

The Professor descended the stairs. His coal black eyes scanned over the tense group of students.

From her observation point, Dusty looked him over. He had black shoulder length hair and a larger than normal nose which was slightly hooked. His robes were pitch black as were his pants, shirt and shoes. In fact, everything he wore was black. She summed him up as 'good looking in a weird I'm-gonna-hex-you-to-hell-if-you-defy-me' way.

"Explain yourselves," he commanded in a venomous monotone voice. Dusty silently wondered how a voice could be emotionless but terrifying at the same time.

The boy with blonde hair spoke in a confident voice. "Our wands suddenly flew out of our hands and floated in the air. When we tried to grab them they moved away."

The Professor turned to the boy with glasses. "I suppose this was you doing Potter?"

_It's amazing that he somehow managed to make the name sound no better then dirt,_ Dusty thought amused.

Potter went on the defensive. "I don't even know what spell that was!"

The Professor sneered. "Indeed. Ten points from Gryffindor." Then doors opened and he dramatically entered the room with his robes billowing out behind him. The Slytherins filed in after him, sneering at the others as they passed.

The Gryffindors stood in the hall speechless; exactly how Dusty was feeling.

_I can't…! I mean…! WHAT THE BLOODY HELL WAS THAT?!_ Dusty whipped out her little book and marked a slanted tally. She had a feeling that the Potions Master was going to be getting more of them in a very short amount of time.

The other students had already gone in before Dusty jogged to the door. She stepped in just before the bell rung. Only the students seemed to notice her as she searched for someplace to sit, preferably with her other housemates. The Professor was doing a grand job of ignoring her, either on purpose or he really didn't know she was there. She was pretty sure it was the first. Dusty cleared her throat and he turned around.

His eyes flickered down to the books in her arms. He raised a brow. Dusty took a breath.

"I'm Dusty Ellard. The new student."

This time both eyebrows raised but then his normal demeanor returned. He looked her over once more before looking at her face. "The twenty-nine year old, correct?" The Slytherins snickered.

Dusty ignored the statement that was obviously supposed to provoke her and went straight to the important part: where to sit. "Is there a certain group you would like me to join or will I be working alone?"

The Defiantly-Not-Amused Professor narrowed his eye. "What house are you?"

"Gryffindor."

"Year?"

"Seventh."

"This is the sixth year class."

"You didn't have a seventh year so I was placed here."

"Seventh years are not required to take Potions."

Dusty's eye twitched. She mentally added another slant tally just for him being difficult. "Dumbledore told me that I was in need of another Potions class so I was placed here. You may speak to him if you wish." _Good gosh_, she sighed, _now I'm talking all mature and crud!_

He glared at her then whirled around and headed behind his desk. "Longbottom!" He barked and a boy let out a startle squeak then shakily stood up.

"Y-yes Professor?"

"Miss Ellard shall be your partner for the period. Do not let your incompetence be the end of you and your partner."

The boy nodded his head, looking ready to faint. Professor Grumpy Pants turned his back to the class and Dusty stuck her tongue at him. She walked over to Longbottom and gave him a warm smile as she sat down.

"Longbottom is your last name, correct?"

He nodded and Dusty saw a pink tinge creeping up his neck.

"Call me Dusty. I'd appreciate your name. That is, unless you would like me to call you Longbottom."

He glanced at her then quickly averted his eyes. "N-Neville. I'm Neville."

"Nice to meet you Neville." She held out her hand. He looked at it for a second then timidly shook it, his face turning pink. A few Slytherins snickered and his faced turned pepper red and he snatched his hand away.

_Talk about shy_, she thought with a mental smile.

Professor Grumpy Pants slammed a book onto his desk with a loud CRACK.

"We will have a test today." Groans filled the room. "You will not be able to use any books and you shall get your own ingredients. You have _this _class period to finish it." He waved his wand and a long table with ingredients from end to end appeared in the middle of the room. He waved his wand again and their textbooks flew to the front of the room and into a tall pile beside his desk. "It is a simple healing potion, used for healing small cuts and bruises as well as getting ride of headaches. Begin."

Dusty tried desperately to not smile as she and Neville moved to the front of the room with the crowd. The potion was called _Sevine Bane_; it was one she took all the time for her headaches. She sometimes had to make it herself for one reason or another so she knew what ingredients to use and how to brew it. It wasn't a difficult potion; a fifth year would be able to do it.

"Do you know what potion he's talking about?" Neville whispered to her.

Dusty nodded her head. "Yeah, at least I'm pretty sure he's talking about that one."

"Which one?" he asked.

"I'll tell you when we get back to our table. We wouldn't want to help out the Slytherins would we?" Dusty grinned.

Once they got their ingredients they quickly returned to their table. They started cutting and measuring out ingredients while the liquid heated. They had started adding a few of the important stuff when Professor Grumpy Pants started walking around the room. He lingered at each group, berating them and telling them about how incompetent they were. Dusty noticed that he was only picking on the Gryffindors and praising the Slytherins.

'_Biased old creep_,' she gnashed, adding another tally. When he reached their caldron, Neville stared down at the floor. Dusty ignored him and continued to cut the Root of Bail into even pieces. She asked Neville to pass her the Bile of Goat. The boy didn't answer.

"Neville," she asked again, "Goat bile." She felt a tube placed in her hand. She read the label and corked it back up. "Neville," she said in a sweet voice, "That wasn't goat bile."

Dusty realized that Professor Grumpy Pants was still standing there, burning holes into Neville's head. The poor boy was staring at the Professor with wide eyes, sinking down into his seat. Dusty gritted her teeth and was very tempted to crack the vial of Phoenix tears over the man's head, but refrained. Instead, she waved her hand in front of Neville, cutting off his vision of the Professor.

"Neville," she said again.

Neville's eyes focused on her and he seemed to relax a bit. "Y-yes Dusty?"

"Where's the goat bile?"

Neville ran his eyes over the ingredients and picked up a vile of murky liquid. "Here."

She thanked him and moved back to the caldron, dragging the boy with her. "Okay, you add these," she pointed to the Bail roots, "While I add this. Put the chunks in one at a time and try not to let them splash too much when you drop them in okay?"

"O-okay."

She started to pour the bile in, excruciatingly slow, stirring the potion even slower. Neville let one of the pieces drop into the pot and it made the tiniest splash. Finally the Professor moved on without a backward glance.

Eventually, the potion was complete and the class almost over. Tubes for their potions were passed out and Dusty poured their masterpiece into it, cast an unbreakable glass charm over it, wrote their names and passed it in with the rest of the class. They cleaned up their mess and waited for the bell to ring.

The sound of glass clanking on the ground made the students look up. A tube with light pink liquid was on the floor by Professor Grumpy Pant's feet. He swept down and snatched up the small tube then glared at the class.

"Who put charm on this?" he hissed.

"Um," Dusty raised her hand, "I did."

His eyes narrowed. "Explain."

"Well, I've been known to break small glass objects more than once. I wanted to make sure that it got turned in while intact." That was the truth and it turned out to be a good idea. She guessed he had dropped their tube on purpose and was ticked that it didn't shatter.

"Ten points from Gryffindor and a detention should discourage any more spells in my classroom," he said discussion-closed tone of voice then moved behind his desk.

Dusty stared at him opened-mouthed. "Sir, may I ask why I have a detention?"

He glared at her. "For using unapproved magic in my class."

"WHAT? How was that spell unapproved? Even fourth years are allowed to use it!" she protested.

"Not in my class." he stated. "Detention at seven o'clock sharp. Tonight. My office. Do not be late."

The bell rung and the students started filing out of the room.

Dusty glared at him, fuming. She snatched up her books and stopped out of the room. She walked down the hall a ways before stopping. "What an irritating man," she grumbled darkly.

"Snape is like that," said a voice.

Dusty took a break from burning a hole into the ground and looked up at a boy with glasses. Beside him were the same redhead kid and brown haired girl whom wands Dusty had charmed before class. Neville was beside the girl with brown hair, looking at Dusty with concern.

"Are you alright?" he asked as he stepped towards her.

Dusty pushed off from the wall she had been leaning on. "Yep! I was just thinking of all the hexes I know that I could use on him." The boys laughed but the girl looked at her disapproving.

'_Why do I get the vibe that this girl is annoyed at my alibi as well?'_ Dusty asked herself.

"Do you really have to serve that detention?" the redhead asked her, "I mean, you're twenty-nine!"

Dusty chuckled. "I may be old but I'm still a student. I have to deal with the punishment the Professors hand out. So, who're your friends Neville?"

Neville snapped to attention and introduced the three kids as Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter.

'_Harry Potter? Ain't that the kid who killed Moldy Voldy before?'_ She shrugged it off and smiled at them. "Nice to meet you. Call me Dusty."


	3. Detention SUCKS!

**A BIG THANKS TO _INVADERK _WHO HELPED ME OUT WITH SNAPE'S CHARACTER!!! THANKS _INVADERK!_**

It's Called Unorthodox for a Reason  
Chapter Three:

_**Detention SUCKS!**_

The food the house elves made was amazing! It tasted so good! Much better then anything Dusty could have cooked in her room. She sat with Neville and the other three children she had met after Potions. The boys were explaining Quidditch to her even though she did know how Quidditch was played; she used to be on her schools team back in America. It was just that they were so animated when they talked about it that she couldn't bring herself to rain on their parade. Hermione kept glancing at Dusty, much to the woman's irritation. She could tell the girl was analyzing her. Finally, Dusty met the girl's glance with hard eyes.

"Is there something you would like to ask me Ms. Granger?" she asked in a cool voice. The boy's stopped talking and looked at their friend who was embarrassed she had been caught.

"Why," she hesitated a second then plowed right through the question, "why exactly are you here? If I'm not mistaken, the potion you made to day was _Sevine Bane_, correct?"

Dusty had a feeling she knew where this was going. "Correct."

"That potion isn't very common in England. How did you come by knowing it?"

"Ms. Granger, even though I am back in school now does not mean I didn't learn anything from my previous school years. The _Sevine Bane_ potion is one that fifth years in America learn and it is quite simple. Does that answer you question?"

Hermione nodded her head, her face was now brilliantly pink, and returned to her book.

Dusty felt a little bad for making the girl feel stupid but she didn't like people snooping into her job. Her job was very important and secrets had to be kept.

"So," she turned to the boy's, "How are your Defense Against the Dark Arts classes?"

Thirty minutes later, Dusty had learned that no DADA teacher ever lasted more then a year and that they didn't really know much about the dark arts. The MAISO was appalled. Voldemort was on the rise and the only thing these kids could do was cast simple defense spells? The professor was a Ministry member named Robert Tellytrick, an old man that had no idea what he was talking about. He had them read from the books and write essays three feet long on the simplest Dark Creatures.

They had learned a bit about werewolves in their third year but they never even discussed the difference between a Night Vampire and Moon Vampire; an extremely important subject that the Ministries in America and pretty much every other country made sure was taught in the very beginnings of their Magical teachings.

"What _is_ the difference?" Hermione asked, annoyed that the older woman knew something she hadn't read about.

Dusty took a deep breath then plowed into the explanation, wondering if she could get though it without taking a break. "Night Vampires are the most common. They're the ones that most horror films are about. In fact, Dracula was a Night Vamp. Moon Vampires on the other hand, are only dangerous during the crescent moon. They're also ten times stronger then Night Vamp's. You ever heard of Death Eater Vamps? No? Well then, Night Vamps are the ones that work for Voldemort-"

"Don't say that name!" Ron hissed.

Dusty ignored him. "Moon Vamps work for the Ministry, at least they do in America. They're too proud to lower themselves to work for Voldy."

They flinched and after a second Harry frowned. "Did you just say…Voldy?"

"Yep! Voldywart." She grinned and Harry couldn't help but laugh. Ron and Neville looked terrified that she was so flippant about _his _name and Hermione looked extremely surprised.

"Anyways," Dusty said as her giggles quieted down, "Not all vamps are as bad as people make them out to be."

After dinner, the five of them walked up to the common room. A girl with fiery red hair spotted them and got off from the couch. She stopped when she saw Dusty. "Hello?" It was more of a question then a greeting.

"Hi! Call me Dusty," she introduced herself and held out her hand.

"Ginny," the girl said with a smile.

"Nice ta meet cha." Dusty looked between Ginny and Ron. "Are you two related?"

They sighed at the same time. "Yes," they both said.

"And are you older?" she asked Ginny.

Ron's eyes widened in horror and Harry laughed at his friends. Ginny giggled. "No. Ron's older. I'm younger by a year."

"Ah." The clock stuck six thirty and Dusty sighed. "If you'll excuse me, I need to skitter off to my room and mentally prepare myself for my detention with Professor Grumpy Pants."

"Professor _Grumpy Pants_?" Ginny asked.

"She means Snape," Harry said through chuckles.

"Oh."

"Where exactly is your room?" Hermione asked.

Dusty was slightly surprised. That was the first time the girl had talked to her since dinner. "Down that hall," Dusty pointed to an abandoned looking hallway.

"Down there?" Ron asked. "I didn't know there _was_ anything down there."

"You and me both," said Harry.

"You want to see it?" Dusty offered. "The rooms not as creepy as the hall."

"Sure!" They all chirred except Hermione.

Dusty led them down the hall, the torches lighting as they passed. She stopped in front of her door and took out her wand. She tapped the wood three times, placed her hand on the door handle and whispered something. The doorknob clicked and she pushed it open. They filed into the room and the students started to explore all the strange objects Dusty had. Hermione was lingering at the bookshelf, looking like she longed to pull them off and dash into the nearest chair. Ginny and Neville were looking at the pictures, which had changed into ones of Dusty's family (she had enchanted them to do that whenever someone besides herself was in the room). Ron was looking at the African masks and Harry was interested in the weapons.

Dusty pulled off her trench coat robes and slipped her wand into her back pocket. Her boots clanked against the ground as she crossed the room. She pulled a box out from her dresser and opened it, revealing her candy stash. She unwrapped a lollypop and stuck it in her mouth then offered one to the others. After she had forced Neville into trying one she glanced at the clock. She only had five minutes to make it to her detention!

"CRAP!" She stuffed the box back into the dresser and dashed to the door. "I'm gonna be late! Feel free to leave whenever! Don't break anything and you can borrow a book Hermione!" she called as she dashed into the common room. She ran down the steps, feet barely touching the wood. She glanced at her watch. By the time she got to the dungeons, she only had a minute to get to Snape's office.

"ARRG!" She dove through the door just as the clock stuck seven. "Made it!"

"Miss Ellard, I expected you to be more punctual," Snape said, not looking up.

"Sorry…lost track…of…time," she gasped through her wheezing.

"Indeed," he stated in an eerily calm voice.

"Right. Forgive me oh brilliant potions master," she said sarcastically. Why did she have to deal with this impossible man on her first day? At least she would be able to add more tallies to his ever-growing section. She stood up and dusted off her butt and made sure her wand hadn't snapped. She was silent as Snape whisked through the papers he was grading. Finally he pointed to a box of vials and a jar of leeches.

"Test them. Write down the reaction and do try to be accurate."

"Yes sir!" she saluted him and walked to the table, ignoring the burning glare from Snape.

She pulled a random vial and slipped out her trusty, black mechanical pencil as well as a piece of folded paper from her wand-free pocket. She jotted down the names of the potion makers and then grabbed her wand. She levitated a long, black leech out of the jar and uncorked the vial. She let about four drops of the potion fall into the squirming animal then re-corked the vial and waited. After twenty seconds of nothing happening, she jotted down the reaction and went to put the leech into an empty jar. It was right over the opening when it started wriggling in pain and making a faint hissing sound.

"What the-?" she pulled the creature closer. It started growing and a huge hole appeared on its head. Rows of shark teeth gnashed around in the new hole and the leech started squirming even more. It was almost the size of a banana when it broke free of Dusty's weakening levitation spell. She cussed and jumped to the side as the thing went flying at her head. The vial of the potion fell from her hand and smashed inside the container with the leeches. They started growing and the jar broke, spilling the leeches to the ground.

"Professor!" she shouted as she scrambled towards her wand that had skidded across the room. A leech attacked her leg and tore through her pants and into her skin. She cursed then ripped it off, taking a huge hunk of flesh with it, and flung it at the wall. She backed into a shelf as the leeches closed in.

Snape glance up at her plea and whipped out his wand. "_STUPIFY_!" The spell had little affect on them.

Dusty scooted towards Snape. A leech launched itself at her and she dove. She crashed into him and felt his arm wrap around her then push her behind him. He cast another spell but it had the similar effects as the first. Nothing.

Dusty's eyes searched wildly for her wand. She spotted it by the door. Making up her mind, she made a mad dash for the sleek, black stick. She snatched it and turned casting a spell just as Snape did. Their spells hit the creatures at the exact time, causing the things to explode.

They stood there in silence, covered in leech slime and guts.

She was about to speak when Snape rounded on her.

"What did you do?" he asked in a venomous hiss.

"Y-you think I did that on purpose?" she asked open-mouthed.

"Then what happened? Surly they didn't mutate on their own!" he snapped, still using the same tone.

"The potions screwed it up! I had nothing to do with it! Why the hell _would_ I do that?!" she snapped back.

Snape glared at her but didn't say anything. He looked over at the shattered glass and strode over to the table. He snatched up the paper and read the names then huffed.

"Ah but of course," he spoke to himself, "I shouldn't have expected any better from those imbeciles."

Dusty took a step towards him and felt a sharp pain shoot up her leg. She hissed and fell on her knees. "Stupid leech," she muttered as she moved to a more comfortable position. She placed her leg in front of her and cringed. The bite went all the way to the bone.

Snape was kneeling beside her so fast she hadn't heard him move. He ran his hand just above the hole and then stood back up and disappeared from the room, leaving Dusty alone.

She wasn't sure what he had gone to do but she didn't really care. Her eyes were clouding and she felt dizzy. _Probably from blood loss_, she thought groggily. Blood was pouring from the wound, creating a large puddle. Dusty went to stifle the bleeding but her arm felt like lead. She groaned, barley registering that Snape was back.

He knelt beside her again and grasped her around the shoulders. She leaned back into him heavily and her head rolled. She felt nauseated. A hand grabbed her chin and forced her mouth open. Something sweet tasting was poured into her mouth and she swallowed so fast she ended up coughing.

"W-what was that?" she asked in a weak voice.

"A healing potion."

She numbly nodded her head and regretted it a second later. Her head felt like it was going to explode! After she had quelled any attempts her stomach might have made to pitch her dinner, she slowly climbed to her feet. She gingerly put weight onto her leg and found it didn't hurt anymore. Smiling a little, she looked at Snape. His face looked indifferent as he waved his wand over the room, cleaning up the mess that had been left behind. Dusty frowned and wondered if it was worth the risk of thanking him. He didn't look extremely happy.

In the end, she decided to try a less daring approach.

"So, how'd you get that potion so fast?"

Snape gave her a look of annoyance but answered all the same. "It is only one of the many potions I brew for the Mediwitch."

"Oh." Should she now? Well, suicide or no, she had too. "Um, well, thank you." Her voice was much smaller then she had intended.

He looked at her with an expression that she placed as suspicion.

Dusty fidgeted under his gaze but was soon free of it for he had turned and strode to his desk. He sat down and started grading his papers once again without sparing her a glance. After an eternity of uncomfortable silence (really only uncomfortable for Dusty) he waved lazily at the door.

"You may leave."

She was taken aback for a few seconds before scuttling towards the door.

"Ms. Ellard! You will return to finish your detention on Friday. Same time. Do not be late."

She stopped at the door and turned to him. Her face was impassive but she knew her eyes were giving her away, utter loathing. And he was enjoying it too if that smirk wasn't a complete giveaway.

"Yes Professor," she said in a cold voice then she gave a small bow and stomped down the hall. Even in her anger she couldn't have missed the flicker of surprise on his face when she had bowed to him. Even if it was an annoying habit she had picked up in Japan, it was sometimes useful.

She smirked. She would have to remember to bow to him more often.


	4. The Tree

**A BIG THANKS TO _INVADERK _WHO HELPED ME OUT WITH SNAPE'S CHARACTER!!! THANKS _INVADERK!_**

It's Called Unorthodox for a Reason

**Chapter Four:  
_The Tree_**

To celebrate surviving her first disastrous day at Hogwarts, Dusty invited the five young Gryffindors to share breakfast with her via House Elf. Surprisingly enough, every one of them excepted, even Hermione who Dusty had been sure would decline. It seemed that the uptight Gryffindor thought better of the twenty-nine year old ever since she saw the book collection.

So after Dusty was dressed and had bacon and eggs on her small portable stove, the Gryffindors knocked on the door.

"C'mon in," she called as she flipped over an egg.

The door opened and the five of them scampered in. Ginny and Hermione offered to help cook and soon the three women were busy with flipping eggs, making sure the bacon didn't burn and mixing pancakes. Dusty threw the boys an order over her shoulder and soon they were scuttling around setting the table that suddenly appeared in the middle of the room.

Once the food was dished out and glasses filled with pumpkin juice (or orange juice for Dusty) they chatted about different things that the Professors did over their years at Hogwarts. They wasted nearly the whole morning making fun of the teachers but soon (as Dusty had known) Ginny asked about her detention.

"I'm not sure if it always happens but I got attacked by leeches," Dusty said plainly. The silence in the room was overwhelming.

Finally Ron asked, "Did Snape set them on you?"

Dusty let out a laugh and shook her head. "No, no. He didn't. It was one of the potions some second years did…" After Dusty finished telling her tale, the kids were speechless.

"He actually helped you out?" Ron asked incredulously. "I don't believe it!"

"Snape actually has a heart!" Ginny cried, looking like she was going to faint. "I don't believe it!"

"C'mon guys," Dusty laughed, "He is human."

Obviously they didn't believe her if their skeptical looks was anything to go by. Wisely enough, Dusty decided to shut up about Snape and go on to a subject less hazardous. Like what they did for Christmas which was only a month away.

"I stay here every Holiday," said Harry.

"We're going to be staying as well," said Ginny, indicating to both her and her brother.

"And I should also be staying," Hermione said after she swallowed a large piece of bacon.

"What about you Neville?" Dusty addressed the silent boy.

He shook his head. "I go home to my Grandma."

"Ah."

Dusty glanced at the clock. "Class starts in twenty minutes."

"WHAT?! I've got to go!" Hermione dashed out of the room.

"What's wrong with her?" The older Gryffindor asked, pointing at the cloud of dusty that used to be the bookworm.

"I think she wanted to do some research before class," Ron answered before standing and stretching his arms.

"We should all be getting to class anyways. Mines on the other side of the school," said Ginny also standing up. The other two followed suit and Dusty bid them farewell as the door clicked closed behind them.

Dusty practically skipped to Charm class. Her second day at Hogwarts and another day for analyzing others! Sadly enough, the only thing that made her job worth going through days upon days of stuff she learned years ago was being able to watch other Professors at work. Someday, after she got tiered of traveling 'round the world, she was going to apply for a teaching job. She was more then qualified and she had lots of experience when it came to dealing with students.

Dusty was too busy being happy she didn't notice a person come around the corner until she had skipped right into them.

"Sorry!" she cried backing up and bowing several times. When she stopped groveling, she looked up and was met with Snape's sour yet mildly surprised face. _Oh, it's just you,_ she thought. His face instantly lost all traces of surprise and darkened.

"Ms. Ellard, once again you have proven that you have no regard for rules. Ten points from Gryffindor," he said darkly before gliding past her and disappearing down the hall.

Dusty glared at his retreating back and stuck out her tongue then spun on her heel and continued to Charms.

Professor Flitwick ruled! The little man had to stand on a chair or a huge pile of books in order to be seen but Dusty thought it made him rather comical. He was also absent minded. He forgot were he had put a charms book he was using to teach with and had the whole class searching for it only to find that he had been standing on it the whole time. Dusty had to clamp a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing at his face when he realized how silly he seemed. The charms he taught seemed accurate and he made it fun. Well fun-er then the last Charms class she had taken.

Her second class of the day was Care of Magical Creatures. It was much less informative then it could have been, mostly they sat around and watched a man named Hagrid talk about an extremely weird species. It looked like it had a crab shell with spider legs and two bulging green eyes that took up all the space of its head. Dusty nearly had a heart attack when he told the students to try to _feed_ the things. Fortunately, the animals turned out to be pretty tame and actually _liked_ to be handled. No one came out of the class with major bites but Dusty did score one when the little bugger thought her hand would taste good.

Defense Against the Dark Arts was probably more boring then any class she had taken from the start of her magical education. Dusty stifled a yawn and wrote a small note in her tiny book, reminding her to ask the Ministry to send a different teacher as soon as possible. She crossed the Professors name out in her book and promptly fell asleep on her textbook.

Her last class was class held by the Headmaster himself. He explained to the students about the rise of Voldemort and stressed over and over that they had to be ready in case of an attack. Once Dusty got a good look around, it seemed that students from every house was packed into the great hall. The teachers who she knew would actually be _useful_ in a battle were also present. Them being Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, and another Professor Dusty had never met.

Dumbledore and McGonagall paired up and demonstrated how to perform the disarming spell '_Expello Corpus_' that was stronger then ant disarming spell but practically deadly. It was a combination of the disarming spell and _Stupefy_ so it was twice as strong and could send a grown man into a comma. Snape and the other Professor paired up and demonstrated a binding spell, the '_Redimio Luminarium'_. Only the person who cast the spell or someone they trusted could remove the binds.

It was quite useful when getting back at your brother and his friends couldn't help him out. She was, or course, speaking from experience.

Dusty pushed her way closer to the platforms the Professors where using. She spotted her Gryffindor friends and made her way towards them. Finally pushing through she asked her question.

"So, who's that other Professor with Snape?"

Harry tore his eyes from the mystery professor. "His name's Lupin, Remus Lupin. He used to be our DADA teacher three years ago."

"Oh really? Was he any good?"

"Oh yes," Hermione exclaimed. "He was fantastic. He knew exactly what he was talking about."

"Why isn't he still teaching? I've noticed the lack of intelligence in that part of teachers."

Harry couched which sounded really close to a laugh.

Ron sighed. "The parent's found out he's a Werewolf."

He gasped and clapped his hands over his mouth. The children's eyes darted over at her and Ron went red in the face. Dusty gave them a look.

"What? You think I mind if he's a wolf? I've spent time with both Werewolves and Vampires. Some have even become my friends. I could care less."

"Are they _that _common in America?" Ginny asked amazed.

Dusty nodded her head. "Yep. As common as witches and wizards are in England. America is the land of the free and crazy. We have all sorts of things there. But they're mainly in the South because they can blend in better there."

"Amazing," Neville breathed. "I've always wanted to meet a Vampire."

Dusty grinned at him. "If you guys can visit me in America this summer, I'll introduce you to all my friends. Werewolves, vampire's, giants and the like."

"Ms. Ellard!"

Dusty glanced up at Snape. He was glaring down at her menacingly with a dark look in his eyes. "Yes Professor?" she asked sweetly.

"Since you believe you are not obligated to listen to the instructions, you will show us how the American's perform the _Redimio Luminarium_." He spoke in a dark tone that matched his face.

Dusty beamed at him. "Certainly."

Leaving behind the snickering Gryffindors, she hopped up on the stage. She met Snape in the middle and bowed to him, making sure to keep eyes contact. She grinned at him before turning and taking the correct number of steps needed.

Three…four…five… 

Her hand was posed to bring out her wand. Her tense fingers twitched. The whole hall was silent as she neared the end of the platform.

_Eight…nine…TEN!_

Both adults spun around and shouted "_Redimio Luminarium_!"

Dusty dived out of the way. She rolled twice then jumped up and sent a harmless prank spell towards Snape who tried to counter attack. He ducked Dusty's spell and sent her flying with _Expectimo_, a particularly nasty disarming spell that sent you spinning through the air. She rolled and hopped up then sent _Expello Corpus_ at the Potions Master. She was determined to pull this prank if it killed her. As expected, Snape countered but hesitated for a spilt second as he got his bearings back. Taking the initiative, Dusty sent three spells at him, one right after the other. He managed to dodge the first but the second hex- _Redimio Luminarium_- wrapped around him and made him fall back, and the third spell had a chance to hit its target: his head.

A dazed Snape pulled himself off the floor and glared at the beaming Gryffindor. A ripple of snickers flew through the hall. Confused, Snape glanced at the other Professors who looked like they were trying to contain themselves. Even McGonagall was hiding behind her hand. Snape glared at Dusty and she grinned back as she pointed to her own head.

"Nice hair _Sevvy_," she said, smirking before bounding off the stage.

Catching the hit, Snape glance at his reflection in a large mirror. His jaw went lax. His reflection had bright_ pink_ hair. He whipped around to face the Gryffindor but she had already fled from the room. Instantly, he was off the stage and out the doors before you could say Quidditch.

Peeves wisely flew in the opposite direction when he spotted the teacher. Filch plastered himself against the hallway wall to avoid the pink haired professor as he swooped down the front stairs and threw open the Entrance doors.

His eyes caught a flash of brown hair. Smirking menacingly, he tailed her. Despite his anger, his blood ran cold when someone let out a scream accompanied by a loud THUNK.

Dusty had been too occupied with running away from the scary professor to watch where she was running _too_. Unfortunately, she ran into something that was even more deadly then the pissed off teacher: the Womping Willow.

She screamed and ducked a branch that barley missed her. Her hair flew out of it's sloppy bun and fell into her face as she rolled and crawled away from another branch that smashed into the ground only a few inches from her legs. She scrambled away from the deadly branches and made a mad dash towards anyplace that the tree couldn't reach.

The tree had other plans. It lashed out and grabbed her leg. Dusty was barely aware of the snap as the branch ripped her legs out from under her and dragged her back. She screamed again and flailed her arms, desperately trying to reach her wand that was only a foot from her.

The tree lifted her and reared its bough back. Dusty clamped her eyes shut knowing she was about to be whip lashed across the whole school grounds. Suddenly, a bright crack of green light hit the tree in the trunk then another hit the branch. Dusty was dropped like a sack of corn mill. She readied for the hard ground.

Her bones snapped and she groaned, tears of pain brimming under her shut eyelids.

Someone kneeled beside her then muttered, "_navi corporis_," and her body lifted off the ground. She gave a muffled scream and blood sputtered out of her mouth from the cut she had made by biting her lip. A hand flew to her mouth and pried it open. They muttered something like "stupid woman," which sounded strangely familiar. She groaned once again before she passed out, dead to the world.

Dusty woke with a start. That bang had to have shaken the whole school! She slowly sat up, taking notice that the Mediwitch was quickly charming the bottles of medicine to stay in the cupboard. Dusty rubbed her head and looked around. She jumped as another bang shook the school.

"What was THAT?!" she asked the witch who was busy catching falling bottles of potions.

"What? Oh, that. Potions students most likely. Are you feeling better deary?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. What happened?"

The woman bustled over with a small vial of black liquid in her hand. "You had a nasty run-in with the Womping Willow. Miserable tree that thing is. Here drink this." She pushed the vial into Dusty's hands.

Dusty stared at the black gooey drink and grimaced. "How'd I get here? How long have I been sleeping?"

"Professor Snape brought you. It's the day after your accident. You better drink that or else," the witch warned, giving Dusty a look that said she knew what the girl was thinking.

Dusty uncorked the vial and plugged her nose then chugged it. She came up for air and gagged. "I-I think you're trying to kill me!" she sputtered. The witch chuckled but didn't deny it. Dusty stared at her suspiciously before chucking the vial and it landed right into a trashcan. She looked over at the Mediwitch and something clicked.

"Wait, you said _Snape _brought me here?"

"Yes. He levitated you all the way here. Why?"

"Um, was- is his hair still pink?" Dusty asked in a small voice.

The witch gave her a look. "Pink? No. It was his normal black color."

The Gryffindor let out a relived sigh. Now all she would have to do was apologize for pulling that prank. He did save her from something she caused out of her own stupidity.

The Hospital Wing doors opened and the Mediwitch sighed. "Speak of the wizard. Alright Snape, what were they making that could have possibly have caused that many explosions?"

The dark professor glowered at the woman. He beckoned the five wounded students forward and the witch forgot all about pestering him. The students were covered in boils and burn marks and a few of them had oversized limbs. The witch ushered them into a different part of the clinic and promptly forgot about anything else.

Dusty gulped and glance at the man who was burning holes into her head. She quickly looked away. Her hands fiddled with the sheets, wringing them out like she was doing the laundry. Snape spun around, his robes billowing around him, and headed for the door. Without thinking over her actions (like a true Gryffindor) she panicked.

"Professor! Please wait!" She grimaced under his intense glare but quickly scrambled to her feet. She grabbed onto the bed railing for support but managed to bow and stay standing at the same time. "I'm really sorry about turning your hair that abomination of a color! Sorry!" She remained in a half bow position hoping that he wouldn't turn vampire on her and kill her.

She waited for another second until she heard the door close with a BANG. Dusty looked up from her position and slumped onto the bed. He had left. She fell onto her back and put an arm over her eyes. She didn't think it would have caused so much trouble. He acted like she had castrated him or something!

"That man needs to lighten up," she muttered.

Thirty minutes later, all the students from Potions class had been given a potion and were resting in the hospital beds. The nurse (who was named Madam Pomfrey) finally allowed Dusty to leave the Hospital Wing. The young woman practically skipped all the way to her room, a few points being deducted from her by The Filch but she didn't care. She pointedly avoided Snape who had been walking down the hall towards her. She ducked into the nearest door and waited until the man had past before continuing on her merry way.

"Miss Ellard."

Dusty cringed at the cold tone in his voice. She had been sure he had been _far _down the hall when she had retracted from her safety of the empty classroom. She plastered a false smile on her face and greeted him. "'ello govna!"

_Bad thing to say_, she mentally berated herself. Snape's gaze would have killed her on the spot fifty times over looks could kill.

"You do remember you have yet to finish your detention with me. It is now on Saturday night and extend it for another two hours." Snape smirked at the now pouting female. He gave her a small bow then continued down the hallway, leaving an extremely pissed off Dusty in his billowing wake.

She grumbled and cursed him the whole way back to her room. She was starting to think that her statement the day before about Snape being human was indeed, very false.


	5. The First Report

* * *

****

**It's Called Unorthodox for a Reason  
Chapter Five:**

_**The First Report**_

Dusty rubbed her eyes as she stumbled down the stairs towards the Great Hall. She didn't get a very restful sleep after she was allowed to go to her own bed. Maybe that dream with Snape had something to do with it?

She kept dreaming that she was running inside a maze and the Potions Master kept popping up out of nowhere. He would morph out of the ground or the hedges but no matter where she ran too he found her and tried to hex her.

_Must be getting paranoid_, she grumbled. She rubbed her head, trying to quell the maraca-playing monkeys in her brain.

"Well looky here! Hello flunkie!"

Dusty looked up and cocked a brow. A ghost was floating at the top of the stairs, ginning madly. He swooped down and fazed through the woman, cackling like a maniac. Dusty rolled her eyes, ignoring the sudden cold that had spread through her body at the contact with the spirit. An old mechanical laughing ghost wasn't very threatening after you'd dealt with insane, blood sucking Vamps and soul eating demons.

_You can totally _not _tell I'm a witch_, she thought sarcastically before starting off down the stairs again.

The ghost yelled at her, throwing a fit because she wasn't scared of him. Dusty ignored him, which might not have been the greatest idea because next thing she knew the ghost had pushed her and she was falling headfirst down the rest of the twenty stairs.

She hit the floor with a THUD and a loud groan. "Why does this stuff always happen to me?" she muttered. Dusty picked herself off the ground and stumbled into the Great Hall.

"What happened to you?" Ginny asking, noticing that the woman had a few bright pink spots and some blood on her arms.

"Had a run in with the floor," Dusty muttered, dishing out scrambled eggs onto her plate.

"The floor?" Ron asked.

"Yep. I was pushed by an insane ghost."

"Peeves!"

Dusty jumped at the sudden proclamation the four Gryffindors made. "Who?"

"Hogwarts own Poltergeist," Hermione growled. "But he's never actually _pushed_ a student down the stairs before. What did you do to him?"

Dusty jabbed viciously at a grape that refused to be shish-ca-bobed by her fork. "Ignored him."

Harry nodded his head. "Yeah, he hates being ignored."

"Y'don't say!" Dusty snapped, abandoning the fork and tossing the grape into her mouth by hand. The Gryffindors were silent as she munched on the fruit, glaring at the goblet of pumpkin juice in front of her. "Is it impossible to get a glass of orange juice?" she growled. A glass appeared where the pumpkin goblet had been, filled to the brim with the requested beverage. She snatched it and lifted the glass up like she was giving a toast. She thanked the House elves before taking a nice long swig.

When she came up for air, she wiped her mouth and sighed. "Sorry for snapping Harry," she said giving him a sad smile. "It just hasn't been a good day so far."

Harry accepted the apology. "Getting attacked by Peeves would put anyone in a bad mood. Don't worry about it."

Dusty brightened like she was struck with an idea (which she had been). "Hey! Today we have that war practice right? You guys can introduce me to Lupin! What d'ya say?"

They readily agreed and Ron launched into a detailed description of what the old DADA teacher had taught them. For some reason though, Dusty had a feeling that Hermione, Harry and him were keeping something from her but she couldn't guess what it was.

The school day seemed to go by agonizingly slow. Of course, that's how it always seems when you're looking forward to something. Finally, after sitting through an uneventful Charms class, a terrifying Care for Magical Creatures class (the animals Hagrid had gotten out last class had gotten into the Forbidden Forest and Hagrid- living the naive lie that none of the monsters in the forest would harm a fly- sent the students in the Forest. Dusty had a run in with a pack of gigantic spiders and barley got away with the small animal Hagrid dubbed SpiderSkits. "I'm never going in there again! NO! Don't ask me to! I refuse!" she had wailed as she had tossed the little SpiderSkit into the pen before storming off to the school.) and the most boring Defense Against the Dark Arts class in the world, her last class came.

She crowded into the halls along with the other students, keeping close to the Gryffindors that she now called her friends. They got right next to the stage and waited for the teachers to begin. After a few demonstrations, the students paired off into groups and practiced the hexes. Dusty paired off with Harry (he was the only one left because Neville and Ginny were together and Hermione had dragged Ron over with her) and they started up a full-blown Wizard Duel using only the two hexes they had been shown for that lesson. In the end, Harry won. Dusty claimed it was because she kept getting stuff in her eyes but she was laughing while saying it. As soon as class ended, Harry dragged Dusty up onto the stage and over to Lupin with the other Gryffindors following silently behind.

"Professor Lupin!" Harry called. The man turned from his conversation with Dumbledore and smiled when he saw the young boy.

"Hello Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny," he greeted them with a nod. He looked at Dusty and cocked his head to the side. "And who is your other friend?"

Dusty held out her hand, positively beaming. "Dusty Ellard. Nice to meet you Mr. Lupin."

He smiled and shook the offered appendage. "The same to you. But please- call me Remus."

"Remus then. Call me Dusty."

Dumbledore put a hand on Dusty's shoulder. "Miss Ellard has come to Hogwarts in order to finish her schooling." Remus looked at Dusty with this expression that said 'would you like to enlighten me?'

_In fact I wouldn't but do I have that option?_ Dusty thought bitterly. "Had issues at school and couldn't finish my training. Had to come here to get it."

Remus nodded and let the subject drop. "Harry, you did a splendid job with those spells."

Harry beamed at him. "Thank you!"

Soon they left the hall to allow the tables to be set back up for dinner. Dusty dragged both Hermione and Ginny to her room while shouting at the boys to go finish their homework. Hermione struggled, claiming she had a lot of work she had to get done but Dusty wouldn't hear of it. After a lot of shouting, struggling and cussing, Hermione was sitting on Dusty's bed next to Ginny. The two girls watched the insanely hipper woman bounce around the room, singing a song ("I told the witch doctor I was in love with you- oh! I told-") and pulling out piles of fashion magazines.

"What exactly are you doing?" Ginny finally asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

"We need to think about what we're going to wear!" Dust said animatedly as she wadded through musty old boxes filled with books.

"Wear to what? Hermione asked tough she could guess what the woman meant.

"The Christmas Ball! AHA! FOUND IT!"

"Found what?" Ginny questioned, making a place for the older Gryffindor on the bed.

"My old Prom-dress magazine!" The female beamed and placed the large pile of paper in between the three of them. She glared at them. "You two better be going." The girls nodded their heads quickly, scared to do anything else. "Great! Now lets look through these! We can take several different dresses and make them into one!"

Hermione looked skeptical. "How exactly?"

Dusty's lips curved into a mischievous smile. "I was top in my class when it came to material transfiguration."

"Cool!" Ginny breathed then attacked a large magazine. Hermione gave an incredulous look at her friend but soon started flipping through a magazine.

They spent an hour tearing out pages upon pages of dresses and pasting different parts of the dresses onto a large cardboard display board, making tons of dress options. Hermione and Dusty talked about the color Hermione's dress should be and how long it would take to make the elegant (and extremely complicated looking) outfit. Ginny picked out one of her models from the ten others she had made. Dusty assured them that she would have them done just in time for the Ball.

"Don't worry, I'll get you dresses done!" she assured them as they cleaned up the room. Twenty minutes later, the room was spotless and Dusty was once again alone. She plopped into her desk chair and pulled out a stack of lined paper. She sighed and rubbed her eyes. She had yet to turn in her first report on Hogwarts and seeing how it was supposed to be into the office by Friday, she was always writing the reports on Thursday night. Dusty grabbed her black ink pen and started on the account.

_**International School Observation Department  
**__**Europe, England, Hogwarts  
**__**December sixth, Thursday**_

_**Headmaster:  
**__** Dumbledore, Albus**_

_**Professors:  
**__**Flitwick, Fenius  
**__** Hagrid, Rubeus  
**__** McGonagall, Minerva  
**__** Snape, Severus  
**__** Sprout, Pomona  
**__** Tellytrick, Robert  
**__** Trelawney, Sybill**_

_**Headmaster: **__Albus Dumbledore_

_**Dumbledore has shown himself to be a man worth the position of Headmaster. I believe that he will pass our expectations.**_

_**Reporting:**__ Flitwick,__Fenius  
__**He is a very timid man but is not lacking in academics. Absent minded at times but can perform the art of Charms without any faults that I have found. Lesions are easy to follow, making the actual performance by the students even easier. **_

_**Reporting: **__Hagrid, Rubeus  
__**The CFMC teacher has an interesting taste on subjects. He allows the students to be 'hands on' with the specimens while always on constant guard, making sure his pupils are not in danger. A very nice man as well.**_

_**Reporting: **__McGonagall, Minerva  
__**Very well informed and her lesions are easy to follow. The demonstrations are very informational and acceptable for the age group. I believe that she shall have no problem passing my test.**_

_**Reporting: **__Snape,__Severus  
__**Knows the curriculum. Probably one of the most intellectual potions Professors I have come in contact with. Although, I do find his method of teaching harder to follow then it should be but maybe that is due to him lacking personality? **_

_**Reporting: **__Sprout, Pomona  
__**She is a woman who knows her herbs. Her demonstrations are done well and students follow easily enough. Few have trouble performing what is necessary. **_

_**Reporting: **__Tellytrick, Robert  
__**The lesions are ones First years would be able to teach. There is no 'hands on' work and as we know, the Dark Arts can only be perfected when performed on a daily basis. I believe it would be wise for the American Ministry to contact the AOWWA and ask to have a Dark Arts Professor transferred to Hogwarts **_**immediately**_**. Please send information accounting to the transfer and I will be obliged to see that all goes smoothly.**_

_**Reporting: **__Trelawney, Sybill  
__**I believe that she is less of an intellectual then she lets on. Most of her students, being nearly the whole class, are asleep within the first few minutes of class. I believe she is masquerading to be a 'seer' though it is plain to see she is, in fact, not.**_

_**Dusty Ellard, reporting Hogwarts**_

With the account written, Dusty summoned her owl, Defiant, and tied the letter to his leg. "You know whom this goes to," she whispered as she fed him a Mouse Cube.

She walked him to the window and Defiant spread his large black, tawny tipped wings and took off into the starry sky, hooting a quiet goodbye to his mistress.

Dusty smiled at the small, fading figure. She yawned. _Need sleep_, she thought dimly, changing. _Tomorrow I'll start on the dresses for the (yawn) ball…_


	6. Letters, Letters, and More Letters

**It's Called Unorthodox for a Reason**

**Chapter Six:**

Letters', Letters' and MORE Letters' 

Dusty danced down the hall singing a random song all the way to her seat in between Hermione and Ginny.

"You seem rather happy today," Hermione commented from her current position- nose in book.

"Yep!" Dusty bounced a little. "I'm expecting a letter from a good friend of mine!"

"Oh really?" Ginny asked. "Who?"

"A childhood girlfriend of mine."

"Girlfriend?" Dusty laughed at Ron's disgusted face before explaining that a 'girlfriend' was merely a close friend that was a girl. HeCÏisibly relaxed before turning back to Harry and picking up their conversation about the upcoming Quidditch match. The girls talked about the Ball and everything that normally happened and who went with whom the last Ball.

"It sounds fun! I can't wait!" Dusty proclaimed before the mail came swooping in.

A snow owl with black tipped wings landed in front of the elder Gryffindor as well as a smaller tawny owl. She quickly untied the letter from the tawny owl and stuffed it into her pocket then untied the other letter and ripped it open. The two owls pecked at her hands. She laughed then fed them each a treat and bid them farewell as they flew away.

Eagerly, Dusty ripped open the letter and began to devour the words on the page.

_**Demy, **_

_**Guess what? I'M GETTING MARRIED! Can you believe it? Chester asked me a few days ago! And you know we've been going out seriously for over a year. So of course I said yes! Oh, I have something important to tell you besides that. A lot more Shikyo Heiba have been popping up lately around America, most were spotted close to high schools. The Ministry believes they're trying to recruit young teens into the new gang. Restrictions have been set up in order to keep students safe while trying to capture all these Shikyo Heiba that are appearing. Keep me posted and I'll do the same with the wedding preparations! **_

_**Betlinta**_

Dusty smiled at her friend's news. The engagement was bound to happen sooner or later. Chester and Betlinta were some of her classmates from her real wizarding school years. Betlinta worked for the Administration of Worldly Wizard Affairs so she passed on information to Dusty that the MAISO wouldn't have been able to get herself.

Their real names were Betty and Chase but because of certain circumstances dealing with Voldemort, any and all letter's that they wrote to each other were always put into code. Their names especially. Other things were the 'new gang' and 'Shikyo Heiba'. The new gang was obviously the people working for Voldemort and Shikyo Heiba was Japanese for Death troops.

Dusty folded the letter just the bell rang. She got up and bounded to the front of the crowed then skipped merrily down the hall to her Transfiguration class.

The day went by pretty fast with lots of excitement. In Transfiguration, Dusty was turned into a bug as punishment for falling asleep in class for the umpteenth time (McGonagall threw the rule book out the window; literally) and was lectured in front of the class. As a bug…

In Divination, she sat in the back of the room and curled into a ball in her chair and started snoring away. Gryffindor got five points because Trelawney had heard Dusty mumbling in her sleep about the future (or the professor thought). When a fellow class mate asked her what she had dreamt about, Dusty told him she had a dream that she had been sucked into one of her favorite movies: _Back to the Future._

Herbology was boring but the earmuffs had been comfy. They had been dealing with screaming plants for some reason, hence the earmuffs. After Potion's Dusty bowed to Snape on her way out. His face had remained passive but she was determined to do something about that. She was sure her habit had _some _effect on him.

Saturday went by too fast for her liking. Her long detention sprung up on her sooner then she wanted. Inevitably though, she was trudging down to the dungeons.

The damp air and dull decor of the Professor's office did nothing to help her mood.

Snape immediately set her too work cleaning caldrons and dusting the shelves that housed the pickled animals and organs she detested. The time to the end of the detention ticked by slowly in relative silence. The only sound was that of Snape's quill scratching across parchment and the occasional clink of the glass when Dusty put a jar back. She had to resist the urge to break out in song more then a few times.

At the half mark of her silent chastisement, Dusty placed yet another jar of pickled frogs back onto the shelf. Unfortunately, she hadn't pushed it back far enough and the container slipped off the ledge, plummeting towards the ground.

She grasped wildly for the jar, managing to catch it before it shattered against the pavement.

"Too close," she whispered then cautiously placed the jar back onto the shelf.

Dusty glanced over her shoulder to see Snape gazing at her with a raised eyebrow. She turned around quickly and moved onto another pickled something shelf. After another long laps of silence, she sighed heavily and rubbed her eyes. If the detention didn't end soon she would end up falling asleep right then.

Finally she was climbing back up the steps to the first floor of the castle. The air was still cold but it seemed a little more inviting then the air in the dungeons. She dragged her feet up another flight of stairs and started down the hall.

She paused. Someone was talking.

Dusty had always been a pretty nosy person and could never pass up a good eavesdropping late at night. Silently cursing her inner Nancy Drew, she whispered a charm and her ears picked up the conversation.

"Albus! I have something I need to ask you." Dusty frowned at the tone in the Professor's voice. She sounded urgent. McGonagall paused for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Are you sure it is wise to keep the children here over the holidays? With You-Know-Who's activity so near to Hogwarts I do not think-"

"I believe it is for the best." Dumbledore interrupted her. "The children are starting to gain confidence about the inevitable battle against Voldemort. If we sent them home now it would destroy everything we have been working towards since the beginning of the school year."

"Yes, yes I know but what if he attacks during the Ball? That would be-"

"Minerva. You know as well as I that he will not attack so soon. Our informant has told us this repeatedly."

"He has…But-"

"And when has he lied?"

"Never. Not that I know of. To us anyway."

"The Ball will still be held and _any_ student that wishes to stay for it may stay."

"Very well Albus. Good night then," the woman said rather reluctantly.

Dusty plastered herself against the wall as the Professor stepped out of a door ten feet from her. She hadn't known they were so close! Luckily McGonagall's chambers were in the opposite direction from where she was hiding and Dusty Drew wasn't caught.

Finally back in the safety of her chambers, Dusty collapsed in her bed. Defiant hooted softly, making the woman look up. He scratched at her note pad and gave her an annoyed look. He must have known about the letter from Betty and was jealous he didn't get to deliver anything. Dusty laughed lightly as she sat up. Something in her pocket made a crinkling sound. She reached in and pulled out the other letter she had gotten that morning.

"Hey! I forgot that was in there!" Defiant hooted irritably and scratched at the paper again. "Alright! Alright! I'll hurry."

She opened the letter, intending to read it fast but the handwriting made her change her mind.

_**Well now, it seems you've been getting along rather nicely. I know I said I wouldn't contact you for another two months but this couldn't wait. I've been told by a very reliable source that Shikyo Heiba are on the move. It seems that after his first failure, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named doesn't want to take another chance. Right now he's sending Shikyo Heiba into the Asian countries. China mainly and we all know China's magic population isn't the most stable in the world. You have better connections with the UWN then I do so I thought this information would be passed on sooner then if I sent in an anonymous letter. If He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is able to put roots in Asia we're all in trouble.**_

_**Hawks**_

Hawk was her older cousin. Almost thirty years older then her actually. He had been in England during the first rise of Voldemort and had been unlucky enough to have a brother who was fascinated by the man. Hawk had been sucked into the Dark Lords circle and became a Death Eater along side his brother. After Voldemort's supposed death, Hawk fled to the State's and lived with Dusty's family. Auror's had killed his brother so he was able to hide in relative peace until Voldemort came back. He went back to work for Him but as a spy for the Light side even though he had very few supporters.

Dusty and her friend's were able to pass on information that he gave them via letters. Even though Hawk wasn't one of the Death Eater's that had direct contact with Voldemort he was given information from those higher on the Evil scale.

It was actually ingenious how Voldemort had set up his empire. There were the main Death Eaters that had contact with Him at every meeting but those main people were also given separate orders away from the others so that all the information was split up. Then those people passed on the information to the Death Eaters who were below them. That's where Hawk was so it was easier to spy form there then if he was one of the main Death Eaters. No one expected someone lower then them to have a backbone, which had been pure brilliance on Hawk's part.

Dusty grabbed her pen and scribbled down a quick letter to Betty concerning what Hawk had told her. She quickly tied it onto Defiant's leg and sent him off.

"I'm going to get gray hairs sooner then anyone my age if I keep this up," she grumbled before snuggling under her covers.

XXXXXX

The next week passed by quickly without much excitement. Dusty almost had the dresses done and she was getting to know the young Gryffindor's better. Even with the homework piling on (a lot from the Transfiguration teacher because Dusty could never seem to stay awake in that class) she had been contemplating what the Headmaster and McGonagall had been talking about.

Who was the other person spying on Voldemort? Did they already know about Asian Invasion he was planning? Were they doing anything about it?

Monday morning, Dusty trudged into Transfiguration yawning. She sat down heavily, barely managing to keep her eyes open. Sunday night Gryffindor's won against the Hufflepuff's in Quidditch. The teen's had partied until late at night, keeping Dusty up the whole time.

She slept during most of the classes. She hadn't gotten away with it in Herbology or Transfiguration but Divination sure went by fast.

Potions, like always, was eventful and made Dusty feel like she was going senile. Neville slipped up and made the concoction blow sky high and they were both sent to the Hospital wing for injuries.

That's where they spent the rest of their day, laying in the Hospital beds doing nothing productive.

A shadow fell over Dusty's book. "Please tell me you've brought me some form of entertainment other then books," she asked hopefully, looking up at her visitor. The face she was met with wasn't one she had been expecting at all. She plastered on a fake smile. "Well hello Professor McGonagall. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

_Though 'pleasure' is definitely stretching the words meaning._

McGonagall declined the seat Dusty offered. "The Headmaster asked me to give this to you. It arrived at dinner via a black and tawny owl that gave it to him when it found you were absent."

The woman held out an envelope with silver printed writing. Dusty immediately recognized the type style of the letters. It was from the International School Observation Department! She hadn't been expecting a reply so soon which could only mean that it either had something to do with her request or something far worse: news about the Death Eater incidents.

She held out her hand. "Thank you Professor. I had been expecting a letter."

McGonagall hesitated for a moment before handing over the envelope. "I hope it is not anything that will keep your mind from your school work," the woman said before leaving.

Dusty stared at where she had been sitting. "Now what did she mean by that?" she asked herself. She shrugged it off and opened the letter.

_**To: Ministry Auror of International School Observation **_

_**Your last report has informed us about the lacking ability of the Dark Art's teacher. We have been able to secure a new Professor who will start after the holidays. He has already been informed of your role this term so he will not be a hindrance to your profession. **_

_**International School Observation Department**_

"After the holidays huh? At least I wont have to put up with that imbecile for much longer," she muttered to herself. She stuffed the letter in her robes just as Madam Pomfrey came over and reluctantly obeyed the woman's demand that she rest.


	7. The Ball and a Dance

**Holy crap?! Am I really back?! Yes ladies and gentlemen! TCT is officialy back in the Hogwarts fanmania! I'm sorry about the long...okay INSAINLY LONG WAIT AND MOST OF YOU HAVE PROBABLY FORGOTTEN ABOUT MY STORY! ANd that's okay, I deserve it. But because I had another idea for a SS/OC story, my sister forced my to finish up this one before I post the other one. She said she liked this, not sure why... **

**Anyways, you'll notice that Dusty seems to change her character a little (or a lot) during the next few chapters and this one. My poor attempted at Character depth. She has a couple different layers to her and she tends to act really childish most of the time (if you couldn't tell from the previouse chapters) so she's learning to grow up in a sense. Chapters get darker from here on out (though this one isn't dark) It's the next chpater is dark. **

**Yes, I have already written the next chapter and am working on the ninth. I want to get this done and, even though I'm rushing, I'm still trying to get everything to make sense and flow right. If Snape is OOC then I did a crapy job and please point it out. I think that with the tips I've gotten from Invaderk he should be pretty much in character if not :shurg: sorry.**

**ON TO THE STORY YA'LL HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR!!!**

* * *

**It's Called Unorthodox For A Reason  
Chapter Seven:**

_**The Ball and a Dance**_

The Christmas Ball was upon them! Dusty ogled at the amazing decorations that covered the Gryffindor hall. Giant Christmas tree's where decorated in red and gold. The trees themselves had been enchanted to turn from red to gold as their decorations mirrored the opposite color. If the common room had been decorated so splendidly, she couldn't imagine what the main Hall looked like.

A group of ghosts phased through the wall singing Christmas carols. They where off tune, really off tune. But it was nice to see even the dead people could enjoy the holidays.

_Now if only I could get Snape to act more like the ghosts._ Dusty blinked. Where on earth had _that_ come from? The dark haired professor hadn't been on her mind since the start of the holidays. So why, of all times, did he push his way to the foreground of her thoughts now?

She shook her head, trying to physically rid herself of her current state of mind. _It's time to enjoy being a kid again! I don't need to think about stiff people who couldn't enjoy a good party if it bit them in their pale, skinny butt!_

Dusty pushed a piece of hair from her face. She scanned the crowed of Gryffindors for a familiar group of people. After missing them twice, she spotted Harry and Ron- looking quite uncomfortable- standing by a large Christmas tree. She called out to them, waving her arm. Harry looked up and smiled but Ron seemed too- stiff to do anything but stare at his feet.

"Ron, you look like you're about to die. What's wrong?" Dusty couldn't see what was causing the boy to act so- unlike him.

Harry looked at his friend and grinned. "He asked Hermione to be his date."

Ron's face went bright red. "Harry! You promised not to tell!" he hissed.

Dusty grinned. "Ah, so that's what had your stomach in knots. A girlfriend."

Ron groaned. "I knew you would tease me. That's why I didn't want to tell you about it."

Dusty was sad that the boy didn't feel like he could trust her but she didn't blame him. She had a tendency to tease without thinking about the victim's feelings. She put her hand on his shoulder. "Sorry Ron. I do tend to tease don't I? But I wasn't teasing you just then. I had a feeling that something had happened with Hermione, she couldn't stop smiling this whole week."

Ron looked up at her, eyes hopeful. "Really?"

"Yup. She wouldn't tell me why but she would break out in a fit of happy giggles. That's normally a good sign that the girl is looking forward to the date."

"Hey Ron!" Ginny came down the stairs waving at her brother, Hermione right behind her.

Ron stiffened. "Well, here's hoping."

Dusty patted him on the back, grinning like a fool. "Go get 'er handsome."

Ron moved his lead feet towards the girls. Hermione smiled at him and took the arm he offered, leaning her head on his shoulder. Ron's face went bright red but Dusty could see the huge smile on his face.

"They're going to be fine Harry," the woman reassured the teen next to her. Harry looked up at her with a small smile.

"Yeah I know."

"You don't sound too happy."

Harry shrugged. "I'm happy for them but I've been feeling a little drained lately. Just tired I guess."

Dusty frowned. "Has your scar been hurting you?"

Harry stared wide-eyed at her. "How did you know about my scar?"

_Whoops. Forgot I'm not supposed to have read those letters intercepted in his fourth year. _

"I heard that you had a problem with it back in your fourth year. Rumors you know? But you can never be too careful."

Harry seemed to relax. He shrugged. "It hurts once in a while but not very bad. Just a tingle. I get enough sleep but I'm always tired the next morning."

"You should get a dreamless potion from the Mediwitch. Just to see if that helps."

Harry thought for a second, like he was weighing his options. "Maybe…"

Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Neville, the latter two had their arms locked together, walked up to them.

"We're ready!" Ginny announced.

Dusty and Harry followed the two couples out of the Gryffindor common room and into the brightly decorated hall. Dusty glanced at Harry. His hair was even messier than usual and his eyes where a brighter, richer green. Probably because of the green shirt he wore under his black robes.

Dusty tussled his hair. "You're looking really handsome as well Harry."

The boy's face flushed and he mumbled a thank you. She couldn't stop herself- he was just too cute! She leaned over and pecked him on the cheek.

"You're sweet too. Don't worry about tonight either, I'm sure you'll have fun!"

Harry gave her a genuine smile, hand resting lightly on where she had kissed him.

XXXXXXX

The music turned from upbeat down to a slow, dance song. Dusty watched Ron lead Hermione out on the floor and Neville pull Ginny off her seat to follow them. She couldn't help but admire her work on their dresses.

Hermione was in a soft blue dress that barely kissed the floor, letting her cream colored heels peek from under it. A long slit went from the floor to the middle of her thigh and a light cream sash wrapped loosely around her waist and fell to where the slit stopped. Her neckline was under her collarbone and the tops of her shoulders were visible. See-through material was hung off the back of her shoulders like a long, shinny cape. Hermione had enchanted her hair to stay in a tight bun with ringlets hanging down.

The girl looked wonderful dancing next to the red head in a black tux, light blue shirt and no tie. Dusty wondered how long it would take the boy to find out his ugly yellow shirt and tie had been changed. Dusty gave herself two points in the stealth department. Though the lack of observation on Ron's part was probably due to the beauty he danced with.

Ginny looked just as beautiful. Her dress was a dark maroon dress, emphasis on the black sparkles that were splashed here and there. Her neckline dipped into a low V and her long sleeves where loose and followed her movements like they where designed to. She didn't want a slit but the top layer of her dress, which was made of an almost net like material, was very flexible and flashed its black sparkles every time she walked. Her long hair was down, the very top pulled into a loose bun.

Neville's eyes hadn't left her once since they started dancing. Dusty couldn't help but smile at how hard the two boys had falling for their dates. It was wonderful to watch. Harry, on the other hand, just sat quietly beside her, watching his friends have fun.

"Why don't you go see if you can find a girl to dance with Harry?"

Harry's eyes snapped to her, like she had startled him. "Huh? Sorry, I wasn't listening."

_That's odd_, she thought but dismissed it. "I asked if you where going to go find someone to dance with?"

Harry shook his head. "No. I'm fine sitting here."

An idea popped into her mind and she grinned. "Hey, Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you like to dance with me?"

"With you?" The woman pouted and Harry quickly tried to save himself. "I mean, why would you want to dance with me? I'm sure Professor Lupin wouldn't mind dancing with you."

_So that's his game is it?_ Dusty was sort of amused that he was attempting to get her to go with the professor. Not that she wouldn't mind, but she wasn't the type to go asking the man to dance with her. She was too proud to do that.

"You don't _want _to dance with me?" she asked again, pushing the boy's resolve. Harry's eyes ran over her, making her crack a smirk. What was going through his teenaged mind, she didn't want to know but it was cute to watch his face turn the shade of the Gryffindor flag.

"T-that's not it, it's just, err," he looked away, running his hand through his hair.

"Just so you know, 'err' isn't an answer."

"Okay. Sure. I'll dance with you." He refused to look at her, which caused her smirk to widen. Ah the joys of flirting with ones younger then you.

When the next song came on, Harry stood up and held his hand out to her. She took it with a smile and let him lead her out onto the floor.

Harry was actually a very good dancer. Dusty wasn't sure what to expect but the boy was rather good at leading and she followed his steps with ease. At the end of the song, Harry spun her out un-expectantly and pulled her into him causing her to laugh.

"That was a very bold move," she commented as they made it back to their seats.

Harry smirked. "But it was worth it."

She cocked a brow and smiled at him. "Would you like to dance again sir?" She held out her hand.

Harry grinned and was about to take her hand when someone else grabbed it. Dusty looked up and grinned at Dumbledore.

"Well hello Headmaster!"

Dumbledore smiled at her and turned to the boy next to him. "Harry, would you mind giving up your dance partner for a few songs?"

Harry shrugged then bowed to Dusty. "See you in a little while Miss Dusty."

She laughed and curtsied. "Of course Sir Harry. I shall be back."

Harry ginned. "I shall await your return."

Dumbledore led Dusty through the crowed, gently weaving his way through. "Your dress if very beautiful tonight," he commented.

Dusty looked down at the sleek black material. "Thank you. Hermione and Ginny helped me pick it out."

"Very becoming. I do believe he will love the colors," he said with a twinkle in his eye.

"And which 'he' would this be?"

Dumbledore ignored her question.

She noticed he was leading her up to the Head table where the professors where sitting. Her curiosity peeked. The only male professors that where sitting where Flitwick- hopefully he wasn't who the old man was talking about- Hagrid and Snape. Hagrid would crush her if she dance with him and, though he was nice, wasn't at all her type and Snape—he would probably kill her if Dumbledore tried to get him to dance with her.

To her dismay, Dumbledore veered towards the end of the table, right where Snape was sitting.

_Please don't do this to me_, she begged. Dumbledore looked back at her, smiled and gave her hand a light squeeze, like he was reassuring her.

Snape noticed their progression and narrowed his eyes. Dusty felt the heat radiating from his gaze and she looked at her feet. How did Dumbledore expect her to- wait, maybe he just wanted them to talk? Yes! That was it! Dumbledore just brought her all the way over here to talk with him…while slow, dancing songs where playing…

_Talk, yeah right, get over it Dusty, yer doomed._

"Severus! Just the man I wanted to see!" Dumbledore said cheerfully as he stopped in front of said man.

Snape gave a curt nod, glaring eyes never leaving Dusty. "Dumbledore."

"Severus, would you mind dancing with Miss Ellard for a few songs. I think it would do both of you some good."

Dusty swore her heart stopped. _Please say no, please say no, please. Say. No!_

For the first time, Snape's eyes looked at the old man. "I do not think that it would be wise."

Dumbledore smiled. "And why would that be?"

Snape looked back at Dusty and she had to ask herself just exactly _why_ it wouldn't be a good idea. She wasn't good enough? _Probably, if the way he's looking at me is any indication. _

"She is a student."

Dusty almost laughed out loud. It was because she was a student? Yeah, a twenty-nine year old student. How very studently like!

Dumbledore must have thought the same thing because he shook his head and 'tisked'. "Now Severus, how very unlike you. In all the years I have known you, you have never made an excuse."

Why did she suddenly get the feeling that Dumbledore was manipulating him? And why did she just know that she wouldn't get out of this even if she begged?

Snape stood up and rounded the table. He looked at her a moment before holding his hand out to her. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled and, since he was still holding her hand, placed hers into Snape's. Next thing she knew, she was being gently led out onto the dance floor.

Her breath caught in her throat when he turned to her and bowed. She curtsied and held out her hand. Snape took it and put his other hand on her waist. She instinctively put her hand on his shoulder, noticing that it was rather well built.

_Who would have known with that cape he wears all the time?_

Dusty couldn't help but marvel at how easily Snape led her in the dance. This was nothing like the dances back in America where you stayed in one spot and swayed. He was actually leading her in a ballroom dance. She never took him as the type who would go out to the type of parties that required ballroom dancing.

"Where did you learn to dance?" she asked, giving him a puzzled look.

"I do not think that is your concern," he replied coolly.

Dusty looked down. "No. You're right. Sorry."

After pondering a few moments, she recalled being briefed on the Professors that she would meet. Snape was…didn't they say he had been suspected of being a Death Eater? Without meaning to, her eyes flickered over to his left arm. She wondered what was under the black material covering his forearm.

_Strange, for being a supposed Death Eater, he's really gentle. _Her face became warm. _Why the heck am I blushing?! _

"Did you do this to slander my reputation?"

It took her a moment to realize what he was insinuating. "Why would I want to slander the powerful Severus Snape's reputation?" She couldn't believe she was using sarcasm on him! What the heck was wrong with her brain?!

"And that prank you pulled was…?"

He had her there. Why _did_ she do that? She couldn't even remember why it had seemed like a good idea… "…Slanderous? And by 'this' you meant dancing? Don't put this on me. Dumbledore was the one who dragged me over here."

"You do not sound too pleased," Snape said gruffly.

"Neither do you," she retorted, "But I don't think I mind it that much anymore."

Her eyes grew wide and she looked down. Why did she just say that? Did she even mean that?

_Oh yeah,_ a nasty little voice in her head responded, _you're loving it. You like the way his hands feel and the way his shoulder- _

She quickly shut the voice off. That was the last thing she needed. Her own mind going against her.

Snape had grown quiet. Curious, Dusty looked at his face and gasped when she met his eyes. They where staring at her intently like he was searching her for something.

The music died and a fast song started to play. She looked into his eyes a moment longer, searching him just as he had, until he broke their contact. He pulled away and bowed slightly to her.

"Good night Miss Ellard." Then he walked away, leaving Dusty in her black and green dress behind.


	8. Bad News

**It's Called Unorthodox For A Reason  
Chapter Eight:**

**_Bad News_**

Dusty walked into DADA class and stopped short. The new professor was leaning against his desk, reading a book on Dark Creatures. His hair was messy, a lot like Harry's though his was light brown. He had on reading glasses that his hair fell in front of and he had a tan. The man turned his eyes towards her and smiled.

"I'm taking a wild guess, you're Dusty Ellard correct?"

Dusty nodded her head, her throat refusing to work. She knew who this man was, she was sure of it. "Have I ever met you before?"

He closed his book and moved closer to her. "Oh I don't know, I did see you around school every day in class." She stared at him, her mind refusing to create the answer he wanted. His face fell. "You don't remember." It was a statement but she still shook her head. He sighed. "Very well. I'm Darrel Merthoks."

Dusty rung her mind for the face of a young Darrel. The picture jumped out at her and recognition filled her eyes.

"I remember you! I didn't know they where sending someone from school here!"

Darrel smirked. "They don't tell you much do they?"

Dusty shrugged, feeling a pang of annoyance. "No. Not really."

The other students started to file in. Darrel smiled warmly at them, causing some of the girls to giggle. Dusty moved towards her seat in the back of the class.

"Miss Ellard! I would like to talk to you after class. If you don't mind."

She gave a slight nod. "Of course not Professor."

Dusty was pleasantly surprised at what Darrel knew. She even learned a few new things that had escaped her knowledge before. When the class was over, she walked over to his desk.

"You wanted to talk?"

"Yeah, have you noticed anything strange happening here?"

Dusty cocked a brow. "Not that I know of."

Darrel looked thoughtful. "Very well. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Dusty left the class feeling more then confused. Was Darrel really there to just teach Dark Arts or had the Ministry placed him there a spy? That was the last thing she needed, to deal with a Ministry spy and figure out who the spy that Dumbledore and McGonagall had been talking about. She rounded the corner and bumped into someone and started falling back but the person grabbed her elbow, keeping her upright.

"Ow. Sorry." She looked up into the eyes of Snape. "Hi?"

Snape looked at her for a moment before he jerked his arm away like he just realized it was there. She frowned but didn't say anything.

She noticed that his face was a paler, like he had lost a lot of blood recently, and he had a bruise on his neck.

"Hey, are you alright?" she reached up and gently touched the bruise. He grabbed her wrist and pulled it down, glaring at her.

"I believe that you are going to be late for your last class." His voice was cold and his face was passive. Dusty resisted the urge to roll her eyes or remind him that there was a thirty-minute break between classes. She pulled her wrist out of his hand.

"Well then, we best not be late," she spoke curtly before walking away.

XXXXXX

A few weeks passed since the Ball and everything was the same. Except that Dusty seemed to be running into Darrel and Snape a lot more than usual. And Snape was looking worse for wear, always looking tired when she saw him. For some reason, she couldn't help herself from worrying about him.

It also occurred to her that Darrel was making passes at her. A lot. He would go out of his way to pass the Gryffindor table to say hi or he would keep her after class to talk with her for some stupid reason. She found it annoying but not as annoying as when he would pop up in places she wasn't expecting him to. Like in the library.

She scanned the rows of books, searching for the title she needed. Her eyes where flying over the books faster than a jackrabbit. She had a nagging feeling that Darrel would show up any moment and try to talk to her. He was more annoying then anything but his constant, persistent presence was unnerving.

She spotted the book and snatched it off the shelves and went to check it out. Except Darrel was right beside her.

She yelped and jumped back, pressing herself against the bookshelf. Darrel smirked and moved closer to her.

"Professor, um, hi. What are you doing here?" Why was she talking? "Um, I need to go check out this book, uh, lots of homework left."

Darrel put an arm above her and the other on the shelf above so she was pinned between him. His eyes roamed over her body and Dusty saw an emotion she knew too well.

Dusty narrowed her eyes. "Darrel," she said in a warning tone, "You have two seconds to move before I _Crucio_ yer ass to yer next life."

Darrel scoffed. "And you'll be put into Askaban for life."

"It would be worth it," she growled out.

"What is going on here?"

Snape stood at the end of the aisle, glaring at the pair.

When Darrel moved away from her, Dusty quickly scuttled down the aisle towards Snape. She darted behind him then glared at Darrel from behind the safety of the potion professor's back. Darrel looked at her before muttering a 'nothing'.

"Then you should be on your way to Dumbledore's office. He wanted to speak with you."

Darrel nodded and, with one last look at her, he left the library.

Dusty let out her breath that she didn't know she was holding. She had been ready to hex his annoying butt to next week but she was still glad that Snape had showed up. He made her feel…safer could be the word. She had almost completely relaxed when Snape looked at her. He didn't seem pleased. But he didn't say anything either. He just walked away.

"Thank you!" she called after him. Her thanks went unanswered and the man left the library. Dusty sighed and went to check out her book.

XXXXXX

She had started skipping DADA class and Darrel seemed a little more withdrawn when it came to her. She planned on keeping it that way. After the library incident, Dusty recalled that someone said Darrel had a crush on her back in school. She always thought that they where lying because he never came forward. And now that he was _'all grow'd up'_ he was trying to make her fall for him.

She sent a glare his way. _Well too bad mister. You missed your chance._

Her gaze moved from him to the potions teacher. She found herself doing that a lot. Even in class she would watch him a lot more then do her work. She really didn't want to admit it, but she knew she was falling for the man. Why, who knew but she was. Now if she could stop acting so immature around him she might have a chance... Or not. Most likely not.

The mail came soaring in and Betty's owl dropped a letter in front of her. She eagerly reached for it and tore it open.

The wedding preparations where going great and it would be in the summer so Dusty could make it. (_How thoughtful of my best friend!_) Also, a lot of Death Eaters had been caught and where currently being interrogated. The last thing was a sweet picture of Better and Chase that only showed up when Dusty touched it.

The day went by fast, much to her relief, and soon she was set on finishing her homework for Transfiguration. It took her longer then she wanted but soon she was curling up on her bed and sleeping. Or attempting too.

She was beginning to believe that she would never get any sleep. She kept tossing and turning, never finding a comfortable position. Defiant gave an annoyed hoot and flapped his wings.

"Oh shut up, I'm just as tired as you," she shot at her owl. He gave another loud hoot and flapped his wings again, knocking his cage around.

Dusty sat up and looked at him. He was staring out the window, twitching his wings. She crossed the room and opened the window just in time for a large tawny owl to fly in. It landed on the owl perch and held its leg out. She unhooked the letter and quickly tore it open. Her eyes scanned the paper as her heart rate rose.

_**Can't talk much Voldemort is on move heading for Hogwarts sound alarm inform UWN get ready for war Asia already knows and is on way to UWN hurry not much time **_

_**Hawks**_

Her breath caught in her throat. It was really coming. The war with Voldemort.

Dusty pulled her hair back and lit a candle. She wrote a quick letter to Betty, including the letter written by Hawk.

As Defiant flew off with the letter, she prayed that it would reach the UWN before anything happened to the school.


	9. The Warring Eagle of America

**It's Called Unorthodox for a Reason  
Chapter Nine:**

**_The Warring Eagle of America_**

She paced around her room, waiting for—something. She didn't know. The letter from Hawk arrived the night before and she had sent Defiant out only a few minutes later. She had told him to hurry and the owl had taken off like a jet. He could always sense when she was in a hurry and got there within twenty-four hours.

She just hoped that he could get there in less then five.

She finally made it too the Great Hall and sat next to Hermione and Harry. She tried to pretend nothing was wrong but they could tell something was up. Lucky for her they didn't pry or she may have spilled. She was that much of a wreck.

At lunch, she knew Defiant had reached his destination. A black eagle, the emergency eagle of Wizard America, flew through the windows. It caused a scene, swooping in and circling the ceiling, letting out loud shrieks as she flew.

Only two people in that whole school knew what the black eagle meant.

Darrel stared wide-eyed at the giant bird. His hands clamped around his drink and he swallowed hard. _Then this is it. Our final orders._ He looked over at Dusty. Their eyes made contact. He gave her a slow nod, knowing that whatever was in the envelop on that birds leg would decide the future of the students, teachers of Hogwarts and both of them.

Dusty gulped and took a deep breath. Whatever her orders where, she would follow them through. She had known that, if the need arise, every witch and wizard working for the United Wizard Nations would be called upon to fight in the war. She would be the one to instigate it. She would be the person who the eagle would give the letter to and she would read out the orders to all the young students in the school. She would be the one who would lead them all to their deaths.

_This is it. The Final War is about to start._

Dusty stood and let out a shrill whistle. The eagle shrieked and circled back around before coming to land on her outstretched arm.

Darrel slowly stood and watched as she opened the letter. He ignored the professors and students who demanded answers regarding the eagle. His full attention was on the woman's face.

She read the words and her heart sunk. _Then there's no way around this._ She looked at Darrel, her face grave, and nodded. Darrel hung his head and sank back into his chair.

The United Wizard Nations had declared war on the Dark Lord, on Voldemort.

The eagle flew up and out of the Main Hall, leaving a ruckus of talking in its wake.

Dusty clamped her hand around the letter in her hand as she looked towards the Head Table. She took a deep breath before she marched towards the table, eyes on Dumbledore. When she stood in front of him, the Hall grew quite. Her words rang through the Hall, strong and demanding.

"I require a meeting with you. Now."

Dumbledore's face had long since lost its smile and now he nodded gravely. He stood and beckoned the staff through the door by the table. Dusty turned back to the students.

"Harry, come."

He obediently rose and walked to her, Hermione and Ron following behind. Dusty almost smiled at how those three where inseparable. They would need that bond during the battle.

When the four of them walked into the room, all attention was turned to them.

"What is this about?" Snape hissed.

Dusty looked him straight in the eyes and said, without flinching, "Voldemort."

Snape's eyes widened and he straightened. Dusty turned her attention from him to the whole room. She took another breath before starting.

"My full name is Dustella Ellardrick. I work for the United Wizard Nations as the Ministry Auror of International School Observation. My job is to enroll as a student and grade the teachers on how well they are doing their job of teaching."

The whole room seemed to change from annoyed to uncomfortable. She looked each person in the eye as she continued.

"I am to report any one failing to do their job and get them replaced as soon as possible. I am also the person who reports active Death Eaters to the UWN to see that they are taken care of." Snape stiffened. Dusty was almost sorry that she had to do this, especially with what she was going to tell them next.

"At this point in time, my new orders from the UWN is to inform you about Voldemort's new activity within the last twenty-four hours. I am unsure if your informant had told you, or if they where given the correct information from Voldemort himself, but it seems that, as of last night, he is on his way to Hogwarts. And he's geared for war. That black eagle you saw is the emergency eagle of Wizard America. This letter-" she held up the black paper in her hand, "Contains my new orders.

"_**By order of the United Wizard Nations, we hereby declare **_**war**_** on the Dark Lord. Dustella Ellardrick and Darrel Merthoks are to inform the staff about this declaration. The students are to be placed in safety, someplace in Hogwarts as all transportation, magical and non, shall be halted in efforts to keep the Dark Lord from reaching his destination. If such antics are unsuccessful, a **_**full-scale war**_** shall be on our hands. Reinforcements are being sent, though quietly as to not alert the enemy. They shall be at their destination within four hours of receiving this letter. Hogwarts is to be protected at all costs.**_

_**Merlin protect you, **_

_**United Wizard Nations"**_

Dusty held out the letter.

"If you doubt me, the UWN's seal is right there."

---

The teachers rushed up and down the halls, preparing for the battle. Any student who did not want to fight was led into the Chamber of Secrets. The first through third years had been sent into the Chamber but most students where gearing up to fight. Surprisingly, there where a lot of Slytherins taking up their wands. Even more surprising, Draco Malfoy was one of the first to volunteer to fight.

Dusty had changed into her battle uniform: tight pants, shirt and a short robe that came to her elbows. It was the same as every UWN witch and wizard wore. Hair brown hair was pulled back into a braid and her face was set to determination.

She dashed down the hall, passing Peeves who seemed to be enjoying the chaos caused by the coming attack. She weaved her way through the crowed of agitated students and towards the other adults. Remus pulled her onto the stage and she thanked him. She noticed that the number of adults had doubled. There was a woman with violently pink hair, a man with a magical eye that swivled around in his head, a man and woman she imagined where related to Ron and Ginny as well as another older version of Ron.

Dumbledore acknowledged her before demanding silence.

He gave a speech and was almost done when one of the watchers came busting through the Hall doors.

"He's here! The Death Eaters are on Hogwarts soil!"

"Very well," Dumbledore stated gravely, "The war is on."

The students shot out of the room and Dusty felt sick. She knew that half of them would never live past this night.

"Severus, you know what to do." Snape nodded and walked out the back door. Dusty couldn't help but feel anxious for him.

_God I hope he will be all right. _

Dumbledore motioned the others who where standing with him to follow. Dusty didn't think about where they where going, she took of through the main doors, straight into the thick of things.

Her feet led her through the fight towards the Quidditch field. She blasted Death Eaters out of her way as she picked up her pace. Voldemort had recruited more then Death Eaters, he had trolls, giants, werewolves and many more on his side.

She hoped that the reinforcements showed up soon. Voldemort had more people then they could manage.

She blasted a troll, its head exploding and ran over its limp body. She dodged a large wood club that smashed two feet from her. The troll was down in two, courtesy of a painful blast through its stomach. She was more then thankful that the Ministry required you to take its defense classes if you had and out-of-country job. She kicked a Death Eater and sent him sailing, then blasted his stomach right through.

She dashed towards a troll and grunted as she was blasted to the ground. She rolled a few feet before pushing herself to her feet. A Death Eater had his wand pointed at her. She dodged his spell and sent one of her own, missing him by a few feet.

"Oh come one," she grunted.

He whipped his arm around and sent a large blast at her. She rolled a few feet then let out a loud howl. The blast had missed her full body but it had landed on her legs. Electricity bolted up and down her body, frying her insides. _So this is what the Cruciatus curse feels like,_ she dimly thought. Dusty pulled herself into a ball, willing the pain away. The Death Eater loomed over her, raising his wand for the finishing blow.

"_Expelliarumus!" _

His wand went flying and he spun around. A blast of yellow light sent his spinning through the air, snapping his neck when he landed. Someone kneeled next to her.

"Dusty? C'mon girl get up! We have some evil butt to kick!"

Dusty pried her eyes opened and looked up at a familiar face. "Betty?"

Her friend grinned. "Yup! We're all here."

Dusty furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "We're—you mean?"

Betty pulled her to her feet and pointed her wand towards a large hoard of people storming up the hill from out of nowhere. All where dressed in robes similar to her own. Overhead, people on boards zoomed towards the battle, casting spells on the unsuspecting victims below. A group of werewolves dashed across the ground, letting out howls of pure rage. Vampires threw full-grown trolls across the field and snapped the necks of humans.

Dusty whistled. "They went full out didn't they?"

Betty let out a cold laugh. "What did you expect? This is _Voldemort_ we're fighting!"

Dusty's eyes grew. "Oh God! Severus!" She took off towards the castle.

"Who?" Betty ran beside her, blasting spells off.

"Someone I'm worried about."

They rounded the corner and ran headfirst into a raging battle. Dusty kept spinning, constantly firing spells to keep the werewolves and vampires from getting to her. Betty plunged into the fight right beside her, sending spells flying.

"_AVADA KEDAVRA!" _

Betty sailed two feet before landing in a crumpled, lifeless heap. Dusty reared back and fired a powerful blast, splitting the Death Eater in half. She looked at her friend's body before dodging a werewolf.

_I'll be back for you,_ she promised before heading for the castle.

She refused to let the lump in her throat slow her down. She blinked, clearing her eyes from the tears that wanted to fall. As much as she wanted too, she knew she couldn't stop. For more reasons then one. A vampire jumped at her, fangs bared.

"DIE YOU MISSERABLE PIECE OF CRAP!" The spell hit him square in the chest, exploding him.

She quickly dashed around a corner and gasped. Snape was dueling with a blonde haired man and losing. She threw whatever caution she had left to the wind and dashed towards the man. Her wand glowed bright yellow before the spell went sailing at her quarry, hitting him dead center. The man crumpled, heart disintegrated.

Snape's surprised eyes turned on her. She grinned at him and saluted.

"Can't have you dying just yet Cap'n!"

He seemed at a loss for words. Dusty's grin grew bigger. She had finally made him speechless. Go her!

"GET DOWN!"

Snape pushed her to the ground as a large club smashed into him. He went tumbling through the air, sprawling on the ground like a rag doll.

Dusty scrambled to her feet and turned on the attacker. A dumb looking troll got a good taste of her fury. His head exploded and his body went down like a ton of bricks. Troll taken care of, Dusty dropped to Snape's side. Her eyes ran over his body, searching for external damage. Not finding any, she suspected that he had a couple snapped ribs and maybe (she hoped not) internal bleeding.

She waved her wand, _"Mobilicorpus,"_ and headed for the infirmary.

"I wish I had an invisible cloak," she grumbled. Her progression was slow from dodging the continuous flood of enemies. She finally made it to the castle and inside.

Thankfully, the castle was not overrun with Voldemort's goons. The wards had done a good job of keeping anyone but students and teachers from Hogwarts get inside. She just hoped it stayed that way. She caught a flash of misty white out of the corner of her eye.

"Sir Nick!" The Gryffindor ghost sailed over to her.

"Miss Ellard! I'm glad you're safe! It's dreadfully dangerous out there!"

Dusty almost rolled her eyes. No duh! Like she didn't know that! "Sir Nick, I need you to go ahead of me and inform the Mediwitch that Professor Snape has been injured and needs immediate attention."

The ghost complied and flew off through the ceiling.

When she finally got him to the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey swept him away towards an empty bed. Dusty watched her go, feeling utterly useless. She reluctantly walked out the doors and towards the ongoing battle.


	10. Mending After a War

**It's Called Unorthodox for a Reason  
Chapter Ten:**

_**Mending After a War**_

The quietness of the Infirmary didn't bode well for those in the beds. Dusty's gaze swept over the bodies that covered every inch of the large room that had been enchanted to become larger. The extra nurses from the UWN bustled back and forth, checking on the injured and dying.

Dusty slowly started to make her way to the Potions Masters bed. She passed a bed and swallowed back the lump in her throat.

One of the Mediwitches coved a young mans face with a white sheet. Dusty had known him. He was one of the fourth year Gryffindors she had seen in the Common Room.

She tried her best not to look at any of the people lying in the beds. The tears where already brimming and threatening to fall.

She sunk into the chair next to Snape's bed, feeling older and more miserable then she had even felt before in her life. Her head found it's way to her hands. Liquid slowly made it's way down her arms as she silently sobbed.

She stifled her sobs and looked up at the solemn man standing beside her. She spun around and grabbed his waist, tears falling once again.

"Ch-chase," she choked out, "Betty! Betty! Sh-she's—"

Chase pulled her into a strong hug and buried his head into her hair. Dusty felt horrible for doing this to him. After all, she wasn't the one who lost her fiancé.

"But you lost your best friend. Just like me," Chase whispered. In her state of breakdown, she had whispered her thoughts. She just shook her head and cried a while longer.

After a period of time, Pomfrey had given both of them a Calming potion. An hour later, she handed Chase a Dreamless Sleep. Gratefully, Chase chugged it down and fell asleep in a free bed. He had suffered from blood loss as well as mental trauma.

"You need your sleep as well."

Dusty shook her head. "I want to stay here for a little longer," she told Pomfrey. The Mediwitch shook her head but left the woman alone beside the unconscious professor.

Dusty quietly continued to watch the man, wishing that her stomach would stop twisting into knots. It was her fault he was laying there. Just like it was her fault for everyone else injured, dead or dying in that room.

She shook her head and leaned back into the chair.

It wasn't her fault. It was the _Dark Lords_ fault.

_Damn him to the lowest depths of hell_, she hissed, _let him have a miserable afterlife for the rest of eternity. _

Even with her anger and loathing raging, her eyes started drooping. Everything blurred together and soon she fell asleep.

Her rest had been anything but peaceful. She awoke from it with a start, slipping off the chair and onto the floor. She rubbed her eyes, taking a look around her. She couldn't have been asleep for more then two hours. She climbed to her feet then settled back into the chair.

The Mediwitch came over, holding a potion. Dusty tried to cover up the sweat on her brow and her clammy hands from the nightmare.

"Drink this," the witch said sternly. Dusty obeyed, feeling too drained to do anything else. She felt her body start to relax as Pomfrey led her to a cot. She laid down and fell asleep.

----

It was a feat to keep reminding herself that the Final Battle had been over a week ago. It was still a shock to her that it was finally over and Voldemort was dead.

_Too bad so many others had to die before he did, _she thought bitterly to herself. Dumbledore had died, using the last of his magic to help Harry complete the spell needed to kill Voldemort. McGonagall had also died for the same reasons.

Dusty leaned back against the large chair in the before mentioned professors office. Pomfrey had asked her to retrieve a certain book from the old witches shelves. For a moment, Dusty had wondered why the woman wouldn't get it herself before she remembered that the two had once been good friends. It would have been too painful for the Mediwitch to enter her dead friends room.

Dusty knew how Pomfrey felt. She had hidden everything that reminded her of Betty from sight as soon as she had been able.

Dusty thought over what her young Gryffindor friends had told her. She slowly mulled over the long list of names of those who hadn't seen the age of peace dawn.

_"Tonks, Lupin, Mad Eye Moody, Dumbledore, McGonagall, Luna Lovegood, Bill Weasley, Sprout—"_

She stopped Hermione's list before it got any longer. The young woman's voice had been breaking as she listed the names of the dead. Dusty rubbed her brow as she thought about a few more people dead.

Neville died fighting against a Death Eater by the name of Lestrange. Ginny had been knocked unconscious by a troll and killed when she snapped her neck landing. Betty was killed by a Death Eater and even Darrel had perished in the fight.

Dusty sighed heavily. She grabbed the book from in front of her and headed towards the Infirmary.

"Thank you dear," Pomfrey said quietly, taking the book. A tear rolled down her cheek and she wiped it away with the back of her hand. Dusty nodded and retreated back, leaving the older woman to her memories.

She stopped by Chase's bed, smiling to see him sleeping peacefully, and then went straight towards Snape's bed.

The man would wake every now and again but never longer then to eat something small and drink a potion. Dusty had been there most of the times he awoke. He didn't scowl at her but then again, he was probably too tired to do so. So she was pleasantly surprised when she spotted said man reading a book.

"Hello Professor," she said softly. He glanced at her then nodded before returning to his book. She inwardly sighed, knowing she shouldn't have expected anything else from him. "Thank you." He looked at her and Dusty could tell she had his full attention. "Thank you," she started again, "for saving me. You didn't have to."

Snape snorted and closed his book. "Miss Ellard, do you really believe that I could do little else after you chose to interfere in my duel with Malfoy?"

Dusty smiled. In his own way he was saying 'you're welcome'. Or 'I owed you' or he was annoyed with her for interfering… Why was she so bad at reading people?

It annoyed her greatly.

"Still," she smiled awkwardly, "thank you."

Snape studied her for a moment before going back to reading his book. Dusty stood there for another moment, searching for something to say. She spotted his book title.

"Do you really love potions that much to read on them even while recovering?" she asked, setting herself in a chair beside the bed.

Snape glanced at her. "I see you have made yourself at home," he sneered.

Dusty shrugged. "I've been sitting here at least five hours everyday. I have officially claimed this chair as my own."

He seemed to be shocked at her words. "Five hours?" he whispered.

Dusty nodded, leaning back into the chair. "Yup. I think my lower half went numb more then a couple times this past week."

She thought she saw a glimmer of a smile flash through his eyes but his face scowled.

"And why would you waste time here? Don't you have other duties to attend to?"

Dusty shrugged. "At this point in time, the UWN is trying to get everything back in place and tracking down the remaining Death Eaters. My job right now is too make sure people here are safe and to help clean up after the battle." She was annoyed with herself for allowing her voice to break when she mentioned cleaning up. She was sure Snape would point it out. To her surprise, the man let it slip.

"So you have nothing better to do at the moment then bother me?"

Dusty smirked. "Bothering you is what I do."

Snape rolled his eyes. "Why do you insist in doing such Juvenal things?"

Dusty fell quiet. She knew that it wasn't the time to tell him about why she really wanted to be around him but she didn't know how to answer his question.

Snape shifted uncomfortably. Dusty snapped herself out of her mussing to grin at him. "Because it's what I do. I've worked with kids my whole carrier. I tend to pick up the more Juvenal habits."

"Why _did_ you take such a job? I'm sure you where well aware of the treatment you would receive from the elder professors."

Dusty sunk into the chair, stretching her legs out. "I did know what I was getting into but when if took the job I had been very adventurous. I wanted to 'see the world'," she used air quotations, "and do things before I got too old."

Snape seemed to accept her answer, nodding before falling silent.

Dusty sat up and crossed her legs. "I can tell you that I got plenty of excitement the last five years. Death Eaters started popping up everywhere like maggots," Snape snorted at her metaphor and she grinned, "and I often found myself being the one to deal with their antics. I almost got myself killed trying to stop one of them from hurting a student."

"Considering how clumsy you are, I am not surprised." Dusty felt the sting from his words but when she looked at him, she realized that he was teasing her. She smiled, laughing a bit.

Things went on like that for the next few weeks. Dusty would visit Snape and they would talk about anything that came to their minds. Snape would tease her in his strange way and Dusty would laugh or make an equally sarcastic remark back, normally earning her a smirk from the professor.

Snape was rather frustrated at how long it was taking him to heal. Dusty kept having to repeat the same thing to him each time he cursed Pomfrey for keeping him charmed to the bed.

"You where hit with a gigantic mallet used by an even bigger, heavier (uglier and smellier) troll. It damaged your spinal cord, you're lucky you're not paralyzed by the way, and it's going to take a long to heal. Using magic, potions _and_ muggle therapy. Stop complaining."

He would make a sarcastic remark but would never challenge her on the subject. Dusty thought he might be doing it on purpose to get the satisfaction of getter on _her_ nerves instead of the other way around. When she voiced this to him, he smirked and returned to reading his book. That was the only answer Dusty needed.

After the first two weeks of the same thing, a man came in the hospital wing dressed in UWN official robes. Dusty noticed him and straightened. Snape followed her gaze, raising a brown as the man crossed over to them.

"Dustella," the man bowed.

Dusty nodded. "Minister. Can I help you?"

The Minister of American Magic nodded sadly, looking very torn. Dusty felt a surged of panic and whipped around to look at Chase, who was sleeping peacefully, unharmed and alive.

"I'm sorry," he pulled out a black letter, "I'm aware of everything that he did for the Ministry. He will receive a hero's burial."

Dusty sucked in a breath and took the letter with a shaky hand. She held the letter in her hand, fearing opening it.

"What is that?" Snape's silky voice pulled her out of her fret.

"A Death Letter. It's the official letter sent out to family members when someone had died while the line of duty."

Snape's eyes landed on the letter, an almost sympathetic look in them. "Whom does it pertain to?"

Dusty smiled a bit at the big words he used before slowly opening the letter. "My cousin."

She read the letter, allowing the tears to run down her face, not bothering to wipe them away or caring about who saw them. When she finished the letter she stared at the floor.

Neither spoke. Dusty was sure that if she started talking she wouldn't shut up so she kept her mouth closed. Or she planed to until Snape asked her a question she felt she needed to answer.

"How?"

"He was a spy for the Light side." She didn't need to look at him to know that he was surprised. She could feel it radiating off him. "He spied on Voldemort of his own free will."

She told him about how Hawks had first become a Death Eater. How, when the war was over, he moved to America with her family. How he went back to spy on Voldemort in the lower ranks and gave her information regarding Death Eaters progress. She told him everything she could remember.

When she ran out of stories about her cousin, she told him about Betty. How she died and how she left behind her fiancé. After she tired herself out from the emotional stories, she simply went back to silence.

A hand touched her shoulder gently. She looked up into Snape's eyes. She saw the emotion flickering through them and understood. She smiled at him gently. Their silent conversation ended on good terms and before she left for the UWN meeting that was being held at Hogwarts, she thanked him.

She stood by his bed awkwardly before leaping head first into what she was sure would end in a painful death. She gave the potions master a quick, heart felt hug before sprinting out of the room.

---

"Harry! Hermione! Ron! Hold up!"

The three Gryffindors stopped and waited for their older friend to catch up. The halls where nearly empty from lack of students that had fled home once transportation was available so the woman easily bounded up to them.

"Hello Dusty," Harry said in a tired voice.

"Is everything alright?" Hermione asked worriedly, wondering why the older Gryffindor would be in such a rush.

"Yeah," Ron agreed, "You look pale."

Dusty shrugged it off. "I'm fine. I wanted to say goodbye before you leave for the, um, really long summer."

The school was closing early due to the war but everyone had been assured that it would reopen on time when the next year rolled around.

Harry smiled but pointed out that they still had the last banquet to go to before everyone left. Dusty gave a one-shoulder shrug, saying that she wouldn't be going.

"Why not?" Hermione asked, feeling a bit alarmed.

Dusty's face fell and her shoulders sagged. "The funeral for my friend is being held this week so I'm leaving early."

"Oh."

They lapsed into silence, thinking about everyone they lost. Ron cleared his throat before inviting her to come to both Bill and Ginny's funerals. Dusty smiled sadly, knowing that it must have been ten times harder for the young boy who had lost two of his siblings.

"I sure will Ron. I promise I'll be there."

He nodded before swiftly escaping down the hall, most likely to find a place to cry alone. Hermione gazed after him, worry evident.

"I think he might need someone to be with him," Dusty said, giving Hermione the chance she needed to sprint after her new fiancé.

"So he actually purposed to her?" Dusty asked, slightly amused.

Harry nodded. "Yeah. He said the family needed something good to look forward to after the funerals and he was already planning on asking her."

Dusty smiled, her eyes twinkling. "I'll be there for that too I hope you know."

Harry grinned. "Yup."

"Are you up to spiking the fruit punch Sir Harry?"

"Oh yes, Miss Dusty. And I'm sure you'll be my partner in crime?"

Dusty grinned. "You betcha."

They laughed. A true laugh. Not strained like you would think it would be.

_He's on the mend. It's gonna take a long time but he'll get through,_ Dusty thought proudly to herself. She had come to think of the 'Golden Trio' as her own kids. She wasn't going to tell the sixteen year olds that but she was pretty sure they had an inkling of how she viewed them.

"Say Harry," the green eyed boy looked at her curiously, " I have a rather large house that I stay in whenever I'm not working. I think I have a couple extra rooms. If you guys would like to stop in sometime during the summer I would enjoy the company. The Missouri woods can get lonely when you're by yourself."

Harry's face lit up. "You mean it? In America?"

Dusty grinned at his enthusiasm. "Yup. And I have quite a big Quidditch Field that my dad had made (Harry's face went to pure delight) and many connections to the American Wizarding World and many magical creatures live around my house. So I'll be expecting a letter telling me when you plan to visit?"

Harry nodded, glasses nearly falling off from the force. "Oh yeah! I'll talk to Ron and Hermione about when we can go. I can't believe it! America! A Quidditch field! The American Wizarding World! Hermione will have a blast seeing everything! Oh and is it alright if we bring from other friends of ours?"

Dusty grinned. "Sure! I love company."

Harry slip into an almost dreamy look. Day dreaming about how big her Quidditch field was no doubt. Dusty leaned in and pecked the boy on the cheek. Harry looked at her a little startled. Dusty grinned and ruffled his hair.

"Can't wait to have you guys. See ya Harry."

"Yeah, you too Dusty," Harry said with a smile, waving to the witch as she went down the hall.

Dusty stopped a ways down the hall, trying to remember what she had forgotten to tell the young Gryffindors.

"What was I going to tell them?" she asked herself, annoyed that it had slipped her memory. Suddenly the light bulb lit up and she smacked her fist into her hand. "That's right! I was going to tell them that I'm the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher for next year! Darn my short term memory! Oh! And that Snape's the new Headmaster… Aw well, they'll find out next year."

She shrugged and continued down the hall, singing loudly and annoying the portraits.


	11. Finality

**It's Called Unorthodox for a Reason  
**

_**Finality**_

"Headmaster? Can I come in?"

The man snorted, waving the door open. "You know you're allowed to come and go whenever you please."

Dusty smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, I know but I feel weird just barging in on you."

Severus smirked and continued to write the letters to the new First years coming in.

Dusty sat on the desk, looking at the list of First years. Surprisingly, there where quite a few on the list. Not even half of them where crossed out stating that Severus was a bit behind.

"Anything I can help you with? Writing letters? Papers?"

While she waited for his response, she looked around the newly decorated room. It wasn't dark like his dungeons (which she was grateful for). It was more like his previous office.

Beautiful black leather seats and velvet black curtains. Cream-colored walls with silver, green and black accents. It was very fitting for such a man, though someone who didn't know him well wouldn't think so.

"Letters," was his snipped reply. Dusty rolled her eyes and picked up a quill and blank sheet of paper.

"You know Headmaster, I am not in detention and I'm no longer your student."

Severus's dark brown eyes glanced up at her, sparkling dangerously in a strangely non-dangerous way. "I am quite aware of that."

Dusty snorted and started to write a letter to a First year named Susie Cramewald. "So, have you thought about my offer? You could do with a vacation you know."

He folded up the letter and put on its seal, adding it to the growing pile. "Does it look like I have time for a vacation at the moment?" He indicated the long list of 'Things To Do Before School Term' laying open on his desk.

Dusty rolled her eyes. "You're aware that school doesn't start for another three months right? Besides, I'm planning on going to my house next week. We could finish everything there."

Severus raised an 'I'm annoyed with you' brow. Dusty grinned and pressed forward with her obvious I'm-trying-to-manipulate-you scheme. "Of course I could just invite some of my old school friends to come over. I'm sure Dan, Kelly and Center are willing to stop by for a few nights."

She had told him about her three guy friends from her wild school days. He said they reminded him of some people he knew of as the Marauders from his own school days. And from she could tell from his tone, they weren't well liked by him.

She saw the evident distain pass through his eyes as well as something she had identified as 'possessive'. She inwardly smirked knowing she would need to tell her house elf to make up the guest room.

Severus stacked another letter on the pile, dipped his ink in the bottle and began writing another one. "I expect that your house is well cared for when you are away."

She nodded. "Yup. My house elf, Centra, takes care of it."

He nodded, finishing another letter. "Good. We will leave before the end of the week."

"Sure." A comfortable silence settled around them as they continued working on the letters.

"Y'know," she started.

Severus cut her off, knowing what the tone in her voice meant. "No."

"Aw but c'mon!"

"Again, I repeat: no."

She pouted. "You're so mean." He smirked, still writing.

"You can't do anything with Slytherins," she muttered.

He glanced at her. "Oh really? I was under the impression that Gryffindors where the stubborn ones."

"Stubborn. Not flat out mean," she quipped.

A hand reached up and grabbed her chin pulling her down to his level, kissing her. She closed her eyes and linked her arms around his neck before he let her go and leaned back into his overly large seat. Dusty gaped at him. He had known what she had wanted (and given it to her) but he didn't have to be such a tease.

She scowled and pouted.

"You are so evil," she muttered.

He smirked, eyes twinkling. "I _am _a Slytherin."

She ignored his shot and steered the conversation in another direction. "We still need to find people to fill the Transfiguration, Potions, and Herbology positions."

"I am still able to teach Potions."

She snorted. "And run the whole school? I believe you are delusional." She continued quickly before he had time to retort. "Anyway, I thought that we might ask Hermione to teach Transfig."

He peered at her inquisitively. "Granger? Why would you ask a student to be a teacher?"

Dusty gave a one-shoulder shrug. "Not this year. She is in her seventh year though so we- you- could offer her the position. She's very good at it. Don't give me that look. Even you can't deny she's brilliant when it come to both potions and Transfiguration." _Though you may rather eat your sock then admit it._

He looked thoughtful for a moment. "I'll think it over. I have already sent out letters to professors that would do well in filling the open positions. I should receive and answer soon."

Dusty nodded her head and crossed another name off the list. She glanced at the shinny green jewel in a silver band on her ring finger. She couldn't get over how beautiful it was. She slid off the desk and tapped Severus on the shoulder. He glanced at her with an eyebrow raised but didn't protest as she slid into his lap.

It had taken a long time to get him to let her have such physical contact with him. He wasn't a very physical man but he didn't push her away any more. Sure, he would still do it from time to time if he wasn't in the mood but it wasn't because he didn't want her touching him like it had been originally.

He continued to write the letters as if he didn't have someone sitting on his lap. She leaned into him and he paused for a moment. She smiled and snuggled into his chest. He gave an annoyed sigh but leaned back into the chair, allowing her to curl up into his lap.

Dusty wrapped her right arm around his waist the best she could and looked at the engagement ring on her left ring finger.

"So, when's the wedding gonna be?"

END

* * *

FINISHED! YAHOOO!!!! Finally! I kind of like how I left this off but I'm not sure if I REALLY like how I left off... I think I left a LOT of loose ends out there... Ah well, it's done right Now you guys don't have to deal with my spurotic updates. :3 Thank you for reading this far and thanx for all the support from those who read from chapter one to now. I owe finishing this to ya'll!!! 

TigerChickTigriss--  
-----The Crazy Writer


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